According to statistics, an average Lagos resident will spend 600 hours per year in a car. That is five years, or 7 percent of an average lifespan. If you have to spend an average of 38 hours a year stuck in traffic, it’s best to come up with a plan.
If you don’t know where to begin, try one of these time-tested strategies.
Lagos traffic is reputed to be among the worst globally
1. Know The Rush Hours: To safely navigate your way around the vast mega city of Lagos, you must first know the rush hour.
For one, Lagos has two main axis—Mainland Lagos and Lagos Island. If you reside on the Mainland, you must know that traffic is heavy going towards the Island in the early hours throughout the week except on weekends.
Conversely in the evenings, the traffic builds up towards Mainland. So if you have just found a job, and you live on any part of the Mainland, your best bet will be to leave home early on week days to avoid the traffic especially on Third Mainland Bridge
2. Rock The Radio: If you know you have to endure morning and evening rush hour, sample available radio stations until you find one that can keep you entertained throughout the torturous commute.
There are stations that cater to those who prefer a bit of banter, and great talk segments, stations that provide mostly news and reports and stations that recognise those listeners who just want to enjoy uninterrupted tunes. You can also tune in to traffic radio to monitor traffic on your route.
You’ll know you’ve found the right station when you’re actually disappointed if your commute isn’t long enough to get you to your favorite segment.
3. Avoid Lekki Traffic Nightmare: If you find yourself on the Ajah-Lekki Axis of Lagos, then you must know that traffic building on a daily basis towards Victoria Island for commuters heading to the Island. You will also do yourself a lot of good not to get caught up in Lekki traffic that has defied all solutions.
4. Wake Early But Watch Your Back: It is good to want to get to work or appointment early, but many people who wake up in the early hours have been victims of robbery or mugging. So play safe, if you must get up early, walk in groups or get someone to accompany you from home
5.Don’t Be A Victim Of One-Chance: If you are a JJC in Lagos, there is every chance that you may fall victim to muggers who use commercial buses to rob victims. So trust your instinct when going out.
6. Have Smaller Denominations: To avoid being a victim of conductors caustic tongues make sure you board the buses armed with your ‘change’ otherwise you risk to be discomfited when they join you with total strangers to sort out yourselves in which case you may be delayed or you forfeit your change altogether.
7. Don’t Rush The Buses: When you arrive at Lagos crowded bus stops, avoid the usual frenzy of rushing for a bus. Be calm, don’t jump in the fray for your risk getting your fingers burnt in the process. First, your well ironed clothes may get rumpled; you may lose your purse or get injured.
The best thing to do is to be strategic. Position yourself at sot where you can anticipate the arrival of the bus. If you must jump, position yourself at the entrance before others could rush in.
8. Listen To Audio Books: Long drives are the perfect time to catch up on podcasts or to make a dent in your reading list.With both podcasts and audio books available for download, it’s never been easier to make use of that time spent in traffic jams.
Audio books are a great way to get around to those books you’ve been meaning to read or to enjoy new works by your favorite writers
9. Leave Early Or Share A Ride: If you leave in the suburbs of Agege, Iyana-Ipaja. Ayobo Okokomaiko, Badagry and other remote areas and you work on the Island, your best bet will be to leave early or identify those you can hitch a ride with.
My advise to those who find themselves in this situation is to live close to their work place to avoid the rush hour.
10. Go Out After Rush Hour: This advice may only be suitable for the entrepreneur who is not on paid employment. Leaving home after rush hour ease the stress of getting caught in Lagos traffic.
11. Stay In The Office Late: Some Lagosians have devised away to totally avoid the evening rush hour that usually put the entire city in lock down.
Workers heading to mainland or the Ajah axis now stay late in the office for the traffic to ease off.
12. Hang Out With The Boys: Finally, the best way to kill off the stress of Lagos traffic is to hang out with buddies especially on Friday evening. A beer or two will certainly soothe frayed nerves.
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