The Biggest challenge faced by lagosians is traffic gridlock and it has numerous adverse effects on the motorists and passengers, and no human can do without road transportation in a week. Even if you are "Air transport or sea or waterways or train addicted" you will definitely reach your destination or origination by road from your residence.

Road traffic gridlock in Lagos state, the commercial hub of Nigeria, is unbearable as motorist and other road users get fatigued while in the traffic leaving many to report to work lately and return home weared late at night with short sleep, only to wake up the next morning as early as 3.00 a.m for the journey of a new day. This has also been the lifestyle of lagosians' offsprings which is not encouraging in the process of upbringing kids.

Intelligent Transport System is yet to get an attention here in Nigeria. I must commend the past and present governments of Lagos on their rapid response towards traffic gridlock in the state. The Lagos State Ministry of Transportation (MoT) and Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) are really into laudable tasks "under the sun and in the rain" to ensure smooth traffic flow, the joint efforts of the Lagos Traffic radio, Federal Road Safety Corps, Nigerian Police Traffic control units, Rapid Response Squad (RRS), Task force, Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) and other authorities or agencies or bodies in charge, can never be overlooked. However, the introduction of 21st century technologies to reduced traffic congestions had helped the developed countries to tackle the menace even though not completely eliminated.

According to an online publication of United States, Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in 2014, Electronic Bill Boards (EBB) is a programmable display that has the capability to present a large amount of text and/or symbolic imagery. In Nigeria, the two types of EBB are the advanced EBB which has the capability to present multiple views and objects that have realistic motion. The second is the tri-vision signs which provide one of three views with rotating cylinders and generate mechanical motion or movement (FWHA, 2014).

The situation that prompted this write up was the recent gridlock on Ikorodu road axis of lagos state caused by a tanker accident at Asolo, hindering road users from going to their workplace and other destinations in the early morning of 23rd March 2016. The intervention of authorities in charge, helped the situation but had it been that there exist the use of Variable Message Sign (VMS) on our road infrastructures, motorists who was not at the scene of the incident would have been alerted of the accident and diverted to alternative routes using the VMS technology before getting to the Asolo area.

Variable Message Sign (VMS) in a student handbook of Washington State, department of Transportation, was defined as a traffic control devices used to provide motorist en-route traveler information. They are commonly installed on full-span overhead sign bridges, postmounted on roadway shoulders, and overhead cantilever structures. The information is most often displayed in real-time and can be controlled either from remote centralized location or locally at the site. Traveler information displayed on VMS may be generated as a result of a planned or unplanned event, which is programmed or scheduled by operations personnel.

The display structures of VMS are designed to be resilient against temperature and other weather factors. Most of the major VMS components are contained within the display structure. The objective of the VMS display is to allow the motorist time to avoid an incident, prepare for unavoidable conditions, or to give travel directions. The goal is to have a positive impact on the motorist’s travel time and ensure traveler’s safety. These technology however demands an uninterrupted power supply for up-to-date information to be passed across to road users.

VMS is a component of Intelligent Transport System (ITS). The overhead signs and post mounts are in form of Electronic Bill boards, if EBB can be constructed and placed for advert purpose, the use of VMS in Lagos State can also be adopted. Adopting this ITS component will go along way in quenching challenges of gridlock in the state. There are many other new tech for transportation which are cost effective and can assist us in reducing the traffic congestion daily encountered by road motorists.

The Lagos traffic radio (96.1 FM) should not be neglected by road users, motorists should all endeavor to listen to the station before taking off from home, on the wheels and after work for up-to-date information on road traffic situations across the state. Below are pictures that will give glimpse on what VMS looks like.

source:
https://ibadanelite./2016/03/26/lagos-gridlock-solution-how-electronic-bill-boards-can-reduce-traffic-jams/

There is no problem without a solution. Just that people don't take advice.