And the Rain Means More Traffic

Rainy season means many things to me: dirty cars, cool weather, careful driving, mosquitoes, lethargy and TRAFFIC!!!!!

You would think that the increased traffic on the roads would be as a result of drivers moving slowly and cautiously on the wet roads or as a result of poor visbility (during heavy rain fall for instance). Yes, it can be as a result of many - or all - of these things. It could - and usually is - also a consequence of the yawning potholes to be found on many Lagos roads. I can't speak for many other parts of the country, but since I ply these Lagos streets daily, I can talk about those.

That most Lagos roads are in a constant state of disrepair is no news at all. However, is it me or is the traffic this year worse than it was last year? It probably gets worse with each passing year and our tolerance level just increases along with it, making the difference barely imperceptible.

The Lekki-Epe Expressway is a prime example of potholes and chasms leading to unbelievable build-up of traffic. The section of the road near the Chevron roundabout is the source of particularly bad hold-up. There are at least two separate places where the road has been dug up or sliced into (for goodness knows what!!!!!!). After said work was done, the interruptions were left to deteriorate into gullies, which with the rain have become rivers that must be floated across or descended into (if you do not drive a van or SUV). And the situation looks set to worsen as the population of people living in the Lekki-Ajah axis rises. Let's not mention the on-going work to widen the roads, which in all fairness are intended to bring eventual relief but are right now a major pain the ass.

I feel frustrated that so much time is wasted sitting in traffic that is in large part caused by something that can be fixed (bad roads). Solving the other causes for the traffic (too many people on too few roads) needs some serious thinking and planning. I hope Lagos state's new administration will be up to the task (well, let's be optimistic), because there is a lot of work to be done. That the previous state government could be so uncaring of the welfare of its people is totally beyond me.

Meanwhile, and perhaps showing me to be an utter malcontent, I saw this article on the BBC site about how Lagos is the party capital of Africa.