The road networks in Lagos are very complicated. Navigating one’s way around the city is nothing short of an adventure.

No matter how long you have resided in Lagos, you just keep discovery new traffic routes every other day. Even veterans in the taxicab business are sometimes clueless about some traffic routes in the metropolis.


In Lagos, there are consequences for ignorance of some traffic routes.

For instance – unwittingly driving in the opposite direction of traffic on a road designated as “One-Way” can have severe consequences. An offending motorist risk an arrest for this. Ignorance is never accepted as an excuse.

In Lagos, the penalty for driving against traffic on a road designated as “One-Way” route is 1 to 3-year jail term. And the vehicle also gets forfeited to the state government. Alternatively, an offended can pay N25, 000.

That is how dire the consequences are when one flaunts the “One-Way” traffic law in Lagos.

However, it appears as though the government and the road authorities are fraudulently benefiting from the one-way traffic law in Lagos.

This appears so because they seem to encourage motorists to contravene the laws by not making any effort to place conspicuous road-signs indicating “One-Way: traffic on these roads.

For instance, in Lagos, some locations are enormously notoriously for having a huge number of booby traps disguised as “One-Way” roads. Some of these locations include Shomolu, Apapa, Yaba, Lagos Island, etc.

Many of the routes in the aforementioned locations have absolutely no road signs to indicate that they are one way routes. Even if present, they are ingeniously hidden behind some obstruction – or far away from sight. Clearly, without any visible signs, these roads have been designed to be one-way ticket to jail.

Indeed, the lack of road signs in some of these locations to indicate their one-way status is quite worrisome.

Even more worrisome is that Lagos state is one place where it is quite common for a road that is a “two-way” road today to suddenly metamorphose into a one-way road the following day. And with no road-signs to indicate such a change – motorists can be arrested for violating the sudden law.

Worse of all, the police, LASTMA, Council officials, etc typically use the one-way situation to feed fat off the ignorance of some motorists.

So, in the absence of road signs to direct motorists, isn’t it fraudulent for the authorities, or the police, to arrest a motorist for taking “one-way”?


Or what do you think?

Source:

https://autojosh.com/one-way-routes-in-lagos-is-the-government-road-authorities-using-them-to-defraud-motorists/


Lalasticlala
Mynd44
Ishilove
Marpol
Semid4lyfe
Obinoscopy
Seun

very true they are just trying to scam us

Lalasticlala
Mynd44
Ishilove
Marpol
Semid4lyfe
Obinoscopy
Seun

Hh

Waiting for the comments

Corruption can make a father think of how to make money from his schooling child.

Even if Nigerians know, they'll still violate it tbh. There was a day I was out with a friend, and we passed a two way road that had recently become one way around Ota Ona. A complete family were in an SUV coming in the opposite direction, and we politely told them it was a one way road. The next thing the parents asked was "Are police there?" in the presence of their children. I wonder what kind of values they're passing on, to only obey the law when law enforcement officers are there.

I'm not excusing the government because you're right that they don't indicate that the roads are one-way, but we Nigerians also break laws anyhow.

Over hyped state.

Even ph na the same thing. Sometimes the police men remove the signs themselves

Can't one appeal the charges for lack of proper post/signpost of "one way" ....

Most roads in Nigeria do not have proper designation as one way, Idk how cabs know which one is one way cuz u won't see any post describing such !!

All these things are means of extorting motorists and not means of regulating traffic ..... Govt should be sued on that .... Appropriate and visible designations/Signpost should be erected to clearly show a "One way" road !!!

How do u expect a stranger to know which is one way which is not

This kind road plenty for island, na to just they ask, hope here no be one way.

The truth is no sign post or whatever to tell you it's a one way, in fact once you enter such roads, the next thing you see is lastma officials coming out from their hidden places like demons to arrest then the negotiation starts.

It is pathetic. But it is the gospel truth.

An incident like this occurred some days ago in GRA Ikeja. N100,000 each was used to bail about 30 arrested by the Lagos State Task Force.

Motorist should be aware of the booby trap there.

Lagos state expect you to drive smartly not with traffic signs, You are expected to know the roads and signs by heart afterall na just few roads that has been there since independent.

They should tag them and make them a public notice

Dem full Lagos Island.

That's how bad it is. Looking for any avenue to make money from the citizens despite paying tax to the government. Lagos own is the worst. Local government, LATSMA, Police will all tax you for taking supposed one way without sign post.

Wetin ambode do una now?

AnonyNymous:
Even if Nigerians know, they'll still violate it tbh. There was a day I was out with a friend, and we passed a two way road that had recently become one way around Ota Ona. A complete family were in an SUV coming in the opposite direction, and we politely told them it was a one way road. The next thing the parents asked was "Are police there?" in the presence of their children. I wonder what kind of values they're passing on, to only obey the law when law nforcement officers are there.

I'm not excusing the government because you're right that they don't indicate that the roads are one-way, but we Nigerians also break laws anyhow.

Lol..Nigerians ehn...

Nigeria herself is a fraud

Well said @Autojosh

There's actually a place in Ikeja beside along... If you pass through that place to access the Lagos-Abeokuta express road, it's free money for the officers at the junction.

I find it disturbing that there's almost no road signs on the mainland, save for Alausa. They ignore that but are quick to accuse motorists who out of unawareness, use the roads.

But the guy in the above picture... Ermm... E don be for am ooo

I think say lagos na 'oni baje'

I hate driving at Yaba. On way plenty very well for that area. Thank God I have never been caught because I pass one way very well at Yaba not because I want to but because I am ignorant of the fact that the roads are one way. My saving grace I think is that,I drive there on Sundays when the Policriminals and other thiefisecurity agencies aren't most times on ground

The day I entered one way I heard the truth about life that though.

After pleading like I was begging for a kidney donor the policewoman just told me to go. The other one almost had a fit but she insisted that I should go it was an honest mistake.

She even refused the 1k I gave her. I owe her one and hope to be able to repay it.

Ignorance is not an excuse.
If you get ticketed by a UK,UAE or US police, you would praise them for being
organised.
Stop promoting lawlessness and jungle mentality.

Xisnin:
Ignorance is not an excuse.
If you get ticketed by a UK,UAE or US police, you would praise them for being
organised.
Stop promoting lawlessness and jungle mentality.

kai!! please have sense na. i beg you!! how is the OP promoting lawlessness? read and understand first before you jump in. haba!

It happened to me on a saturday in 2011. No sign, no mark or anything to show it was one way. Suddenly I saw a vehicle blocking me in front. I tried reversing, I saw another blocking me from behind. I was even thinking it was a rubbery as they jumped into the car with one struggling the wheels with me. Not until I heard people saying "Chai! This Lagos officials and their usual harassment." I hope they are still enjoying the money I paid them.

ChrisBankz:

kai!! please have sense na. i beg you!! how is the OP promoting lawlessness? read and understand first before you jump in. haba!

Your have a lawless mind, you can never understand why motorists are fined for flouting one way rule.

Xisnin:

Your have a lawless mind, you can never understand why motorists are fined for flouting one way rule.

i understand bro. and no i don not have a lawless mind. i agree with you that ignorance is not an excuse. but imagine a stranger that is driving in lagos for the first time in his life. if there are no proper roadsigns to guide him, he might use a one-way route. the developed economies you mentioned, have proper road signs to guide people that drive. the government should do the right thing first by mounting road maps and road signs. when someone disobeys the signs, then we can talk of ignorance.

Lastma, vio, frsc.......

like Demon??

Adekdammy:
This kind road plenty for island, na to just they ask, hope here no be one way.

The truth is no sign post or whatever to tell you it's a one way, in fact once you enter such roads, the next thing you see is lastma officials coming out from their hidden places like demons to arrest then the negotiation starts.