The road traffic issue is a serious issue in Lagos; imagine in it's simplest form, spending 4-5hours everyday on the road!! You can bring out a lot of disadvantages in that - wasted man-hours,wasted profits,etc,
Please give your short, straight-to-the-point opinion of what can be done to reduce or eradicate this monster in Lagos,
The floor's open,

The Federal Government should help in acquiring visa for all those Nigerians who want to leave the country so that they can get out and stop occupying space!

Lagos is the only mega city in the world without a subway or metro system of any kind period and it is in such a predicament that much of the cities traffic problem sits. The metro systems for New York, London, Tokyo, Mexico City, RIO, Sao Paulo, Moscow, Bombay all transport MILLIONS of passengers a day each.

Metro system in a city the size of Lagos is detrimental for maintaining a smooth transportation flow, in that they take the people off of the surface of the city and transports them under the city and or above it. Lagos needs a major metro system pronto, there is no other way to clear its gridlocked streets. It's expensive to develop though its value to a city is worth every last dime spent to create it.

denex:

The Federal Government should help in acquiring visa for all those Nigerians who want to leave the country so that they can get out and stop occupying space!

I don't think that's a solution, Even if 10Million visas are procured, there are still 140Million ready to flock into Lagos to worsen the crisis

Hero:

Lagos is the only mega city in the world without a subway or metro system of any kind period and it is in such a predicament that much of the cities traffic problem sits. The metro systems for New York, London, Tokyo, Mexico City, RIO, Sao Paulo, Moscow, Bombay all transport MILLIONS of passengers a day each.

Metro system in a city the size of Lagos is detrimental for maintaining a smooth transportation flow, in that they take the people off of the surface of the city and transports them under the city and or above it. Lagos needs a major metro system pronto, there is no other way to clear its gridlocked streets. It's expensive to develop though its value to a city is worth every last dime spent to create it.

Nice idea. So what has stopped our leaders from planning and doing this all these years?? Nairalanders more ideas please.

While i agree with a railway/subway system, let us first look at what is on ground.

1. Refuse management. In a lot of cases, refuse takes up half the road so motorists are left with a single lane for a 2 way traffic.

2. Pot holes. This obviously slows the flow of traffic which builds up and causes problems. In other words, smooth roads = smooth road traffic.

3. Drainage. Poor drainage = flooding = traffic problems.

4. Hawkers. Should obviously be stopped. but then again i think the hawkers are able to hawk on the roads as a result of the traffic.

5. Enforcement of traffic laws. I realise that the one way system in VI is being enforced but I think more needs to be done about other traffic offences e.g realistic fares should be put in place for those who create additional lanes when there is a bottle neck.

6. Decent mass transit buses should be introduced and regulated.

Ideally, a metro or subway system is the best solution.

1.However, lets realise that Lagos has grown (not developed) in leaps and bounds without any form of planning. It will be quite difficult to construct a workable subway system without enourmous changes which i doubt can be afforded.
For me I still believe a developed ferry system is the most viable solution for now. There is no where in the Lagos metropolis that cannot be easily accessed by water. Why dont we find a way of developing this?

2. The traffic situation in Lagos is caused by one of the following: Bad roads, inadequate road network, wrong road usage by road users and large number of vehicles on the road. All but the last one can be eliminated.
If all the port holes on our roads are filled, drainages cleaned and made to flow properly and earth roads tarred 30% of the traffic will have been reduced.
If more roads and bridges are constructed (for example leading in and out of V/Island) another 30% will have been reduced.
If Trucks dont park on the road, buses only use bus stops instead of picking and dropping passengers in the middle on expressways, if drivers are a little bit more patient and refuse to drive 'one-way', if pedestrians cross expressways only by using pedestrian crossing another 30% is gone
The last 10%? well we really cant stop people driving dem cars, can we?

Lagos needs a serious plastic sugery, and to carry that out we need someone like el rufai or a strong-willed governor.
Most of the views advocated above are correct but the will to implement is rare. If lagosians dont set a strong urban renewal agenda for fashola, i have a prediction: in few years time there'll be a massive drift away from lagos to other coastal cities like calabar. Its happening globaly (movement to more condusive environs) as in haliburton moving headquaters from texas to dubai. The situation in lagos has reached a point of emergency. In festac where i stay, what was a model fed estate, now has nightmarish roads. Rail system, ferry system, smooth roads, illegal parking of trucks on bridges, dirty streets, disgusting drainage, street hawking, LAGOS NEEDS A GOVERNOR THAT CAN KICK ASS!!!

Imagine a state like Lagos with the Lagoon and Ocean reaching wide, yet all those businessmen refuse to set up water transport system. Only the Tarzan Water Transport Company is functioning. The rest are waiting for Government. Na so so government this, government that. Lagos business people should invest in WATER TRANSPORT.

Then secondly, I repeat all those people that are saying Nigeria is not good, let them go! Our roads are choked, the price of real estate is skyrocketing. Let them GO!

Thirdly, I believe as places like Calabar and Jos continue to prosper, people will start migrating there. Personally, I hope I can put together enough cash to get a decent place near Tinapa by the middle of next year.

initiator:

LAGOS NEEDS A GOVERNOR THAT CAN KICK ASS!!!

Inasmuch as I don't disagree with this, I don't totally agree with it. It's not about Governors/leaders alone, Lagosians need some form of re-orientation- dont u think so?
Let's take it to the basics: How many drivers on lagos' roads went to a valid driving school and got their licenses in a legitimate way?

Reorientation- good point @oIo.


Another point to ponder on.
When we speak of traffic stagnancy in Lagos, I immediately begin to think of the significant commercial areas first - places like Marina, Idumota, Tinubu, etc and its surrounding environs before moving into areas like Ikoyi and Victoria Island – where we see some major businesses headquartered.
Before any project (subway/metro system) is being physically implemented we need to learn to work what we have first- we need to improve our maintenance culture.
I mean how can we think of managing an underground roadway system when we cannot even fix the pre-existing eyesores above the ground like pot holes, clogged drains/sewers, damaged traffic lights, refuse on bus stops, ubiquitous hawkers, beggars and miscreants.
It would be quite thoughtful to reduce the congestion in Lagos by devising solutions to this issues first before carrying onto any other project.

The solution is to move to a different city. Lagos is not the only place you can live in Nigeria, is it?

13million is just too much for a small area like lagos,
the jobless( alayes,area fathers,omo onile,agbero,yahoo boys etc) has to be rounded up and move to farms,that will help to depopu lagos.
then the gov will embark on reorg. lagos. provide garagens,wipe out danfo,street or on the road trading must go,enforcing the traffic laws,moving wrongly parked veh.
building more road networks and proper maintanance of the existing ones.

Seun:

The solution is to move to a different city. Lagos is not the only place you can live in Nigeria, is it?

Is moving out of lagos the ideal solution?
Take a good look at areas people are migrating to, for example mowe-ibafo-and-co axis, you'll find out that the same issues are still very much present though in their infancy.
Proper Urban housing and population Planning too has its own share of the blame.
I even suggest that a total stock of vehicles be taken and time slots allocated to each of them as regards movements to particular areas (for instance,Car AB123CDF can only move from Mainland to Island via 3rd Mainland bridge between 7-9am). What doo you think about this?is it realistic?

odd numbers and even numbers has been tried b/4, didnt work.
the place has to be depopulated.

water transport o!

@ oIo, when u talk of re-orientation u 4get to realise that waiting for all nigerians (nay indisciplined lagosians) to be re-orientated is on their own is impossible. Enforcement is it! When they started enforcing the use of sit belts see how lagosians complied. Abuja was made up of "crazy nigerians" mostly from lagos untill elrufai forced them into compliance. Political will is what is needed here cos a renewal of the city would surely usurp many interests.

maybe the crew of the enterprise could help with some beam transporting or better still, lets keep fit and all ride bikes.

Make some people leave this lagos and go to any other state wey them like. Empty space dey my villa, your villa.

@Hero's suggestion of a metro system is the most effective solution. However, the depth of corruption in the kleptocracy that rules every level of government in Nigeria will prevent this from happening.

For those of you talking about the subway, a major drawback to thinking people using it will probably be wondering how many corners were cut and what inferior materials were used in building it. Nobody wants to be buried alive.

Look at the number of drownings on ferries all over the country; it's unacceptable.

A way of solving 3rd mainland bridge's problems is to get a ferry to transport cars across and reduce the stress on that bridge, but when will that happen? Look how long they've been talking about the 4th mainland bridge.

angel101 is 100% correct on this issue. i made the same suggestion in another post about Lagos.

decongest lagos, develop the ogun lagos border axis, build more bridges esp 4th mainland, improve the waterways with comfortable ferries, and a railway mass transit

angel101 has said it all.

Looking at lagos, i can point out that:

1. A good drainage system won't work if dumping of refuse is not reviewed. The new ones Julius berger created some 2 months ago have been filled with refuse (pure water bags esp.)

2. Widening the lanes mean nothing if pot holes are not filled and "Danfos" are not checked. I once spent 2 hours on the 3rd mainland bridge, on lanes designed to accomodate 4 jeeps or 5 cars or 7 "picantos" and when i got to the end of the bridge, the "danfos" were STILL on 3 lanes leaving a bottleneck for the whole of the island to squeeze their cars in through - - - and LASTMA guys were there doing nothing!

3. There are already greener pastures than lagos around but people prefer to come in 2's and 3's down to AJ city than live a royal life back in the village. Lagosians won't leave lagos!

4. The best solution remains a 24-hour lagos. Run businesses 24 hours, with street lights and heavy security. Turn lagos into a place where the day never ends, where night and day have no difference. If half the state can work 12 hours and the other half, the other 12 hours I think we can strike a balance here, plus there'll be more jobs since you share your seat with your half day colleague. makes sense?

The best solution remains a 24-hour lagos

It makes sense, but how would you go about making Lagos a 24 hour place? By government decree?

Imagine a state like Lagos with the Lagoon and Ocean reaching wide, yet all those businessmen refuse to set up water transport system. Only the Tarzan Water Transport Company is functioning. The rest are waiting for Government. Na so so government this, government that. Lagos business people should invest in WATER TRANSPORT.

It's hypocritical to blame "businessmen" for your problems. Why can't you be a businessman and start it?

Until we have visionary leaders in this country, our cities will end up like Lagos. Chaos! with no progress.

I am disappointed to see that LASG is working on BRT in 2007 digging up Ikorodu road in the name of mass transit while the problem is being compounded. We all know that previous bus progs. (LSTC, Labour mass, City Bus etc) failed and we have zero maintenance culture.

The govt. failed to embrace a subway mass transit proposal in 1972 ( I learnt) under a BOT scheme while other like Malaysia, Singapore jumped at the offer. It is all about vision.
Imagine, an international (known) business investor wanted to intest in Rail and light rail in Nigeria only to be denied by our govt. reason: we don't want to sell our heritage. i.e our railways. Shame. Lots of job opportunities wasted. We want our trailers to keep moving goods up north.

Other Problems:
1. 80% of road users and drivers do not understand the rules of driving. (Most carry a drivers' licence though)
2. Selfishness & Impatience on the roads. We are all in a hurry.
3. Disregard of the rule of law. Tanker drivers & Co. Ltd
4. Improper land use. Shops and markets at wrong areas.
5. Traders & hawkers create traffic to aid sales.
6. Bad roads. Craters in some places. Poor maintenance.
7. No street lights to aid night driving.

The list could go on,

We need a properly planned mass transit system comprising land, waterways, rail & monorail and subway. Planned and executed by major consulting and construction bodies and funded by the private local and foreign investors.

Without this, Lagos will surely explode in a few years to come.

Christino:

4. The best solution remains a 24-hour lagos. Run businesses 24 hours, with street lights and heavy security. Turn lagos into a place where the day never ends, where night and day have no difference. If half the state can work 12 hours and the other half, the other 12 hours I think we can strike a balance here, plus there'll be more jobs since you share your seat with your half day colleague. makes sense?

Nice idea, it looks bright with prospects, but as seun said is it enforceable? I think it could work. But with it comes Security Risks and NEPA issues.

@ Seun and oIo,

DId you miss out on the keywords "Street lights and heavy security"

Implementing a 24-hour megacity won't only ease the flow of traffic due to the availability of work-time options, it'll also reduce unemployment.

If electricity is stable and there's adequate security, i see no reason why Lagosians shouldn't be flexible in their schedule. Even churches'll run 247.

@seun
The solution is to move to a different city. Lagos is not the only place you can live in Nigeria, is it?

did u read the question?

also if security and power is in place, 24hr biz would not need to be enforced. It will happen naturally. Afterall even with the lack of security and power some areas of Lagos are already almost 24hr run.

Sorry!!! This problem can never be solved, no be EPE, na true i dey yearn you.
My reasons are:
1. If the govt introduces train means of transportation, it will never be maintained
2. The introduction of Lagbus can never solve the problem so far it is done in Nigeria
3. The govt can never enforce the law that da-ku-da-ji motors should not be drove in such city like Lagos.
4.  If a car is batched in Lagos, do u think he will let others go without solving that issue first?
5.  The mentality of Lagosians is that If I want to buy just handkerchief on the road, others will have to wait for me to finish first before I give way.

All these just to mention but a few will never allow free flow transport in Lagos of ou own.

The situation is getting out of hand!imagine,Ikeja to surulere in 3 hours?.I think the solution is to either implement a Subway system or build other vehicle routes.This their BRT scheme is just a waste of money cos i don't understand why you should want to limit the whole of lagos to just 2 lanes!Before you implement a metero bus system,you have to ensure that motorists have alternative routes which Lagos definately lacks.

Tinubu the achiever did well in terms of the transport situation didn't he sarc

@ Double N,

you are right, why would i leave my car @ home and trek 2 km before getting a bike to take me to the mainroad where i'll get a Metro Bus? Makes sense? only to return at 10pm when the area is "unsafe" and pray to God as i walk through the valley of the shadow of death?

It just doesnt make sense. The Metro bus can only drop me halfway to my home and more than 80 of lagosians live off the major road, those who intend to work late into the night (like Chris) can't rely on it.

Ikeja to surulere in 3 hours means Lagos to ibadan in 2 days