The almighty Lagos traffic Jam

For a business man, one of the major obstacles to the growth of business is traffic jam. Can you just imagine a supplier who is supposed to deliver lunch packs to a company by 12:00 noon at Victoria Island BUT still stuck in a traffic jam at the third mainland bridge by 2:30PM? For such situation, not only is he going to lose a lot of money that day, what's more? He’s more likely to lose the trust of the company. In business, TIME is very important and so when the issues of traffic jams keep biting into ones business, such business is prone to liquidation. Additionally, aside from the loss of revenue, missing an appointment due to traffic jam is another dilemma that a businessman is always caught up with. And for this reason, self confidence is also at stake. It's effect is something that should never be ignored for it affects not only the businessmen BUT also impinges on everyone’s lives on a daily basis. CAUSES OF TRAFFIC JAM IN LAGOS, NIGERIA Bad Road- This is the leading cause of most traffic jam in Lagos. Most roads are so bad that motorists spend 30 minutes on the road that should have only taken them more than five minutes to pass. Some of these roads are ridden with potholes and they often make vehicular movements too slow as some vehicles often break down on the roads. Not only does bad roads cause hold ups, they also cause accidents. Accidents- Are another major cause of traffic jams. When there is an accident and it happens in the middle of the road, it automatically slows down the traffic movement in the area. Impatient Motorists- Sometimes when motorists are impatient with one another on the road, it causes unending hold-ups. Rush Hour- When motorists are caught up on some particular roads during rush-hour, it causes more traffic.  This is often between 6 am to 9 pm and 4 pm to 11 pm. On-Going Construction Works- Whenever there is an on-going construction work, it always causes heavy traffic jams as roads that were fully used before will only be partially used, making vehicular movement quite slow. TRAFFIC HOT SPOTS OF LAGOS ·Oshodi- This is perhaps one of the busiest roads in the Lagos metropolis. ·Third Mainland Bridge- Because its one the major link to the Island, it is always packed during rush hour. ·Victoria Island- Some of the roads in the Victoria Island are always jammed with vehicular movement, some of these roads include, Ozumba Mbadiwe Road (because it is the only road that leads Ajah), Bar Beach/Eko Hotels Road etc. ·Ikorodu Expressway (Ketu/Ojota axis)- There is often heavy vehicular movement in this area because of the third mainland bridge. ·Abule Egba- This is another hot-spot of traffic jam in Lagos. HOW TO COPE UP WITH TRAFIC JAMS IN LAGOS A business owner hoping to get to his place of work on time should leave home earlier than usual. Whether he has his own car or he is taking commercial bus, he should leave early. It is now a generally believe that BRT buses are the fastest means to travel in Lagos. With dedicated lanes, these buses are fast and rarely get held up in traffic. Some car owners also take the BRT when they have appointments because it can get to their destination on time. Perhaps this might sound costly but it is actually happening; some highly placed individual in Lagos beat the traffic to the Island part of Lagos by going in a chopper. With a trip costing over 30,000 Naira, this is a sure way of beating the traffic. With the construction works being carried out on most roads by the Lagos state government nearing completion, it is becoming evident that the traffic jam that is a recurring nightmare in Lagos is gradually reducing. One could only hope the problem will be greatly reduced by the time these projects are completed. ADVANTAGE OF TRAFFIC JAMS Is there an advantage of traffic jam? This may sound so silly but YES, perhaps the only way you can use traffic jams to your advantage is when you have a business that could sell during hold up. You can easily employ agents that will sell the said products at points where the hold up is most intense. These products include chilled bottled drinks, rechargeable cards, handkerchiefs, magazines and newspapers etc. Aside from making a nice profit for yourself, you will also be providing a much-needed service. SITING YOUR BUSINESS IN LAGOS When looking for a location to start your business, it is advisable that you locate the business in the area where traffic jams are not too paramount. Most prospective customers might be turned off when they look at the traffic congestion in your area before coming. So when thinking of siting your business, think of the following areas: Ikorodu Expressway Ilupeju/Obanikoro axis Surulere Yaba Onikan Have you ever experienced being in one of these traffic hot spots of Lagos? Are you a business man who found your business location due to the traffic in Lagos? Is there any other cause of traffic jams not mentioned above that you would want to add? You are most welcome to comment below.