I live in the city of Lagos State, Nigeria, a state with rapid population growth and inadequate road infrastructure to cater for the needs of the expanding population every now and then. This is why Lagos State is popularly known as a state with heavy traffic congestion. Some people dread relocating to Lagos after hearing the hell we pass through in this state. There is money in the state anyway, but you will be totally drained on the road while hustling for the money due to the traffic congestion on the road. And so the major problem with transportation here is the traffic congestion.
Obviously, the existing road network in the state struggles to accommodate the number of vehicles that apply the roads due to the increase in pollution leading to daily traffic jams. Sometimes, I wonder if all families in Lagos have their private cars plus the numerous public buses over here. A journey of 30 minutes most times extends to 3 to 4 hours, disrupting people's daily plans. This is why Lagosians leave their house as early as 4 am while going to work in order to beat the traffic jam. Coming home, you will still burn hours on the road due to traffic jams. Depending on the place of your work, you can spend 6 hours only on traffic, and this is not healthy for the body system at all.
The time you are supposed to have getting enough sleep in the morning, you are already rushing out; the same is applicable to the hours you should be at home resting, but you may end up spending it on traffic. Can I talk about schoolchildren? Sometimes, the traffic jam gets tough and school buses reach their respective schools at late hours, say 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the worst cases. Lagosians have agitated badly on this, and I can only hope that the rod network gets adjusted in the future.
When I was working in a faraway place here in Lagos, my salary was being deducted several times due to not meeting up with time, and most times, I can't control it; it's about traffic jam issues.
Before motorcycles were banned in the state, most of us used them to bypass the heavy traffic congestion with an exorbitant price just to meet up with where we were going.
It hasn't been funny when it comes to the issue of traffic jams in Lagos State.
We still face the issue of the high cost of gasoline in the state. All through last week, we were buying one liter at the rate of #1,300. That's really horrible and thus affects many other goods and services in the state. Currently, the petrol is scares; even with the high cost of the product, you will burn hours in the filing station before having access to it.
However, it's been one problem that comes and goes, like a temporary phase we experience occasionally.
Overall, traffic congestion remains the major problem we have been facing since many decades ago. Lots of the major roads are being expanded and repaired, but yet, it hasn't affected the issue of traffic jams to a large extent. We still live with the problem, burning this the cost of fuel on the road each day. My elder brother calculated how much he spends on fuel monthly due to the traffic jam, and it was exactly half of his salary. He had to pack his private car and started using public transport.
Way forward!!
I think there is a need for the city of Lagos to invest more in infrastructure. Aside from the road expansion they did recently in my area, the construction of new roads, flyovers, and bridges is vital, as it will help in providing alternative routes and reduce traffic congestion on major roadways.
I am aware that some flyovers are being built in a few places, but still not enough to mitigate the issue of traffic jams in the city. Also implement a strict measure to see that road users comply with traffic regulations. Another idea is to encourage remote work in the state and ensure regular road maintenance.
In summary, it's possible to achieve a less congested road in the city of Lagos if these few people measures I suggested above are being implemented.
All images are mine except image 1