Re-emerging...

After almost 5 years of inactivity, I have decided to resurface and restart my blog on commuting in Lagos,

This will include my observations, tips and any related info pertaining to how you get around in Lagos whether you drive, pick a taxi, hop on a bus, ride bikes or just walk.

I must warn though, that I reside and commute from Ajah so most of my submissions will be biased towards that area of Lagos. Of course, it is the reason for the blog in the first place. The traffic we face, what I think are no-brainers to managing the flow etc.

I will try and liaise with officials like The Nigeria Police, LASTMA, LAMATA and other organisations like Traffic FM whose service help get things going.

This is not meant to be a full time thing but if I can translate it to real income why work for someone... So I'll explore ways to advertise, do sponsored write-ups and even endorse without selling my soul (hopefully).

Finally, I intend for this site to be a reference point for the Lagos Commuter and a forum to discuss related issues (intelligently).

Thank you, peeps do join me!

Happy New Year and New Hopes on Ekocommute!

Hello folks,

Compliments of the New Year. Hope the holiday season was fun and traffic was not hell for you.

Your tardy blogger has surfaced again! I had to take a break from 'critising the great work of government to see what will happen in December' as admonished by a friend of mine after a heated argument on the merits and demerits of the Great Concessioned Road Project.

I had to summon all my willpower not to gloat at the 'bagger' when he complained quite bitterly about the tolling that was to commence on the 3rd of January, 2011. His grouse being that the road users were going to be cruelly billed for suffering in traffic. I could practically touch his relief when our 'caring' governor suspended tolling indefinitely.

In the last six months since my last post I have read and heard all kinds of comments on this project that you could create a political party from just this issue.

LCC and Hitech have managed to reach Jakande round-about with plenty of abandoned patches that they will probably revisit. Meanwhile a team of them are already uprooting the median all the way to Ikota and soon enough there'll be nightmare traffic there (as if what we suffer is not bad enough). What I cannot understand is why not harness all the resources and make sure the road is perfect up to Jakande. Build all the overhead brigdes, complete all pedestrian walkways, bus stops, street lighting etc. before uprooting and destroying the road beyond Chevron. The stretch between Jakande and Chevron has already been messed up and is now the major cause of the 2 to 4-hour commute we experience every morning. So let's hope this year will usher in more commonsense in project management.

Another hope for this year is proper traffic management and apprehension. In short, LASTMA! I have witnessed at least 5 incidents where LASTMA officials have manhandled errant drivers. 2 of them being this year and in one of them I had to intervene. Why would four men drag a man out of his vehicle just so they can impound his car? The one in which I intervened the Mobile policemen stood by and watched and when I intervened the MOPOL came to restrain me! In Nigeria, Power may not be what you're after, but it's definitely what you need! (apologies to Jacob's Cross)

I have often wondered why LASTMA spends more effort and men on apprehension than in controlling and easing traffic. Why have 8 to 10 men loitering at a point and there is still traffic? Check Chevron, Jakande and Phase I roundabouts every morning ; or if a truck breaks down then you have 4 to 6 men waiting for the truck to be fixed so it can be carted away, meanwhile the bottlenecks created at those points are not being managed and drivers just struggle amongst themselves to get by. I can go on and on but I think the point is made.

Anyway there is so much to hope for in 2011 as far as commuting in Lagos goes but the most significant aspects will come after the election when 'they' won't owe us anything again.

So as I wish you a prosperous New Year let's pray for an easier, safer and more secure experience on Lagos roads.

Eko o ni baje o!

The First Lagos Traffic Management Conference

"Former Israeli Minister for Transportation, Dr. Moshe Hirsh, has said Lagos State Government has been recording an annual loss of about N3 billion to traffic congestion. Speaking at the first Lagos traffic management conference, Hirsh currently consulting for Israeli Ministry of Transportation however urged the state government to use 21st century technology to control traffic congestion in the state." - Thisday Online 03/04/2010

Lagos held a traffic management conference to basically evaluate the impact of traffic on the metroplis and chart a course of action that will bring positive development to the management of traffic in the state.

Personally, I'm impressed at the initiative. I await to digest communiques released and observe the actions taken. Like is typical of Nigerian communiques and reports, I hope this will not be another waste of paper that will sit on some shelf forever.

Back to the Conference proper. Lagos DOES need a forum of this kind and regularly so. I have always maintained that moving around Lagos is mostly a waste of time. More traction can be gained from the tools of communication such as phones and online services (email and internet). Even though I doubt that this exactly what Mr. Hirsh had in mind.

I was not at the conference nor did I even hear of it beforehand. So what exactly was discussed and how can we post humorously offer our own two kobo contribution?

I live at Ajah, traffic in and out of there is hell 8 days a week. I dread having to commute either in or out of that vicinity but I do have to.

The biggest cause of traffic recently from my observation is road construction. The number of projects going on around the city and the pace of work contributes immensely to the traffic congestion that we experience these days. However, behind this main cause is the project management (this is my humble opinion and I stand to be corrected). I wonder what social aspects were taken into consideration when planning to embark on the projects. How would they affect commuters and for how long? How would traffic be redirected and managed? What alternative routes have been planned out? What is the average vehicular throughput per hour? etc., etc., etc. I am no traffic management expert but I think this are just commonsense questions. I mean if 85,000 cars (LCC estimates) are driving through Lekki roundabout a day, how do you get them through with the shortest possible delay? If the stadium access road is to be renovated, what's the best time to carry out road work? I mean there are lots of factors to consider but that's why there are lots of experts contracted.

Other causes of traffic congestion I have observed include the public (or should I say private) transportation system. Commuter buses are wont to stop right in the middle of the road to pick or dispatch passengers; Road ethics and manners of drivers, especially (I might add) uniformed personnel who should know better and enforce order; broken down vehicles and minor/major accidents (mostly caused by bad road manners); illegal parking and interestingly our traffic management system (which brings us back to Mr. Hirsh's point!).

I cannot expand on all these points now but I will say that managing traffic has gone beyond installing traffic lights or stationing traffic wardens. Yes, we do need more and wider roads but how do you get traffic flowing within the current infrastrucure. Some cities in the world have very stringent and expensive solutions but I don't think we grown to that level.

For one thing though, we need a massive overhaul of mass transportation system. This is extremely key in reducing traffic in the city and can serve as first steps to introducing a congestion levy as they have in places like London. Lagos even has extensive inland waterways which are under-used.

To be able to manage traffic the authorities need to have credible information regarding traffic flow and flash points. This is not so difficult in Lagos knowing that 80% of flow is to Victoria Island in the morning and out of there in the evening. This is a simplistic example of course but traffic information is necessary to enable people to make better choices.

High density areas should discourage vehicular traffic. More parking lots should be provided. The average Nigerian would drive into his bedroom if he could! Everybody wants to park right in front of the building they are going. Business premises do not have adequate parking and they don't care for the socio-economic effect that has on the larger society. More lots like the Mega Plaza parking lot should be built and organisations like Silverbird Galleria should be made to build one or be taxed for one. Banks are also guilty here especially on Oyin Jolayemi Street on Victoria Island.

When planning routes and building roads, the authorities should consider alternatives and feeder lanes to let off vehicles at various convenient points. Why should I drive almost 5km past my destination so I can turn off? Case in point Oshodi-Apapa Expressway!

So as not to belabour this issue as a "non-expert", the final observation authorities need to consider is shaping commuter mindset. Why should a family have 5 cars on the road everyday? Why do we feel that staying in a line is taboo. So people get to a light trafic situation and believe that they must shunt all the way to the front because they are more entitled to get there first. Blare your sirens, beep your horns and generally drive others off the road because you think you can!

I can go on but the point I'm trying to make is that for an effective traffic management system in Lagos, the authorities in charge need a really comprehensive strategy rather the adhoc measures that are currently being used.

I am sure Lagos State could do a lot with that N3billion Mr. Hirsh estimates we are losing.

It's been exactly a year since my last post! Can you believe even I have not been to this blog in over 2 months?! So i can imagine how many readers have come and even posted comments. Wow!! So much for online presence.

Anyway so much has happened in Lagos since the last post and so much seems to be happening too. In areas that may grab commuters attention great things ARE happening. Road construction is still on-going in various parts of Lagos, there's some drainage work and the "greening" of Lagos in other areas.

Of course we cannot forget our "officials" and "officers" (I was told there is a great difference as regards "road work"). Yes, our officials are working hard to make sure there is free flow of traffic in the metropolis, while our officers are ensuring that there is safety of life and property. Of course these functions can only be properly administered if you pay your taxes (officially or officerly). Did I mention the other boys? 

But I digress... That matter is for another topic.

The past year has gone by so fast, really. And maybe time is running so fast that is why contractors are not able to finish work in "record" time. Lagosians are going through hell everyday. People are spending 6-7 hours a day in traffic commuting from home to work and back again. If you add guys like me who are "marketers" then "dash" us another 3-4 hours to that and I am not exaggerating. Lucky days can come to 4 hours total; mean days? you could do 12- 14 hours. I have heard stories of people dropping Oga at home in Ikoyi at 8pm and facing Okokomaiko only to turn back at Alakija at about 2 a.m. so they can make it to Oga at 5.30 a.m.

However, I wonder not only at the pace of work that is going on but the project management also. Why block Stadium part of Western Avenue at 4.30pm on a work day? Or decide to revamp/refurbish/retar... (whatever) two roads that compliment each other at the same time? Where should commuters use as alternate routes?

I know the governor and his team mean well when they decide to transform Lagos, but 3 years of suffering can turn what ever good intention to a nightmare.

Lagos commuters... Ahoy!

Hello Lagosians,

Welcome to the ekocommute blog.

Ekocommute will dwell on issues we face everyday as we journey around Lagos. I did not think I had enough material to blog on this subject so I decided to respect myself and just "siddon" look. However, everytime I saw some injustice or abnormality in our traffic system, I would just get upset causing myself unnecessary health problems. So I decided to let off steam and write anyway.

This blog is dedicated to all those who commute around Lagos everyday. We are not strangers to the traffic jams, the floods, the bad roads and of course the "officers" we encounter everyday. You know them - LASTMA, VIO, KAI, FRSC, local government officials and of course our long time friends, the Police. Don't forget those "security boys" who drive menacingly with their punctuated sirens threatening and actually "brushing" us with those pick-ups.

It has been said (a communique issued from one sports bar by a group of semi intoxicated guys) that the average Lagos worker spends about 3 hours a day in traffic (to and from work) and if you are a marketing staff you can add another 2 or 3 hours to your daily road experience.

Now the ekocommute scope can be very vast because you may have to take into consideration many factors. There are the car owners or the "hoppers". Among each category are the privileged and ordinary. The priviledged car owner is one who drives either a brand new car or an upscale tokunbo (if you know what I mean). The ordinary car owner is one who is managing his car ('nuff said). A priviledged hopper is one who takes drops (mostly the "big babes") and the ordinary hopper is one who will jump into the buses or hop an "okada" to move.

Whichever of these categories you may belong to, I'm sure you have stories to tell. Either your daily encounter at bus-stops or frustrations on the roads. So do contribute either a comment or suggestion that may help us and the government manage this monster better.

I will try to make this an effective blog by involving "stakeholders". Let's hear what the government has to say. Ministry of transport, LAMATA, LASTMA, Police etc. What about the banks who send out those wild dogs to deliver "our" money in one branch or the other? Autodealers or car manufacturers can come and "boast" about their rides. Health professionals have advice on how to cope with this mad phenomenum. Then there are the busybodies who don't have anything to say but say it anyway...

Forgive initial lapses in grammar, lexis and structure. We will improve as we go along.

Once again, welcome to Ekocommute!