Nigeria – Lagos Traffic Solution: A Presentation for the Present
By David Stephen – The Lagos traffic situation is what many have come to accept by adjusting schedules and engagements to accommodate it. Lagos traffic situation is there for many reasons including the fact that most people buy cars as soon as they can afford it, contributing to the overall amount of vehicles on the road.
Mass public transport service in Lagos is not satisfactorily to some, making the option out of use for them. Road as the major medium of transportation and development in many places has left expansion unlikely. Road users who try to use driving as a means to show their frustration over personal matters and those who are used to the rush life contribute to the situation by disobeying traffic laws and recklessness respectively.
Lagos traffic solution can workably come away from impression that only rail line, 4th mainland bridge and water ways will save the situation. With the way things are and what projection in population submits, Lagos traffic can be battled using all options available.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) is the key to most traffic problems in Lagos. They’ve been responsible for ease in years past until now and are the answers some may point as the problems. LASTMA officials work round the clock and are stationed in several spots around the state.
During times of heavy traffic, they are noticed for controls and efforts to keep traffic flow. Certain motorists however have issues with them that dwarf their solutions and crown these issues. This may be for any reason with blame sometimes going either way; people should always remember that this relatively young agency is a solution that will improve.
Having more LASTMA staff is crucial to traffic solutions; this will ensure that more officials are present within meters from routes with heavy traffic; it will also ensure that more officials are available at alternative routes for controls to avoid inroad there. More officials will further give flexibility in work-shift and ensure that all officials are available for routine training based on updated information, recommendations and extra skills for the job. This training is necessary and will come in a syllabus recommending best practices from diverse experience and working situation of officials generally.
In the minds of road users are ideas they know that when applied on certain routes will ease traffic along. These ideas sometimes come in conversation with another fellow during traffic or when distraught in protracted traffic and thoughts for solution from the obvious pops.
These suggestions no matter how simple or complex will be necessary for solutions at present or in future. Those suggestions can also come as minor solutions to support and make a major solution applied work. Harnessing this pool of suggestion from several minds that see the situation differently is an effort in a positive direction.
With promise of prompt action and a restructuring of what may be tagged a “New LASTMA” many will submit suggestions via SMS, web and mobile platform as provided by LASTMA for this. Format for submission will include name (optional), suggestion, local government where the road/route is located and the suggestion.
This will go to a database especially with the local government name provided / the street name; in case one is unsure of either of this. Attending further to each submission will ensure that the route the user submits is archived with that solution.
It is surely not binding for all suggestions to be implemented, but every submission will be given a thorough look for placement as a long / short term solution or major / support solution. On a route where expansion is unlikely, a billboard asking for suggestions and submission will see people submit suggestion from everyday experience on that route to avoid slightest addition to traffic.
LASTMA officials on duty will surely submit solutions in a new phase of communication that drags agency management to officials. Some suggestions will undergo verification by officials posted there or by those from the office sent to see extra solutions that can be applied aside the crowd sourced suggestions.
For Lagos, where security is important, several checks are around the city for security operatives to prevent and punish crime. Blocks to ensure that all vehicles are checked before passing sometimes contribute to traffic at certain routes and times dropping efforts of control personnel or technologies to minimum.
Varying their blocks at certain times may be necessary and finding the best site to mount new points will also contribute to their effectiveness for thorough check of suspected criminals to avoid stanching vehicular flow and haste per check.
Informing the security authorities of this will have them input more technologies for their duties and prepare ahead to change their style. Additional traffic suggestions include prioritizing repairs or construction of roads that are alternative routes to major roads; making parking illegal at certain times and use of sign posts that warn road users of certain offence common to cause traffic on that particular route.
Adopting smart traffic technologies everywhere can come for Lagos as planned for future budgets but remain an important solution for the traffic situation taking the burden off officials for solutions technologies can provide and also help officials observe more and improve with time.
Lagos traffic solution involves these suggestions and more, a presentation submits some of the above in further details. Towards this, interested individuals or corporations can get in to assist the agency with training and the web solution. A forum where this draft and more will be presented to drive action and plans for the future may also be necessary in some weeks from now.
Read More: Lagos: short term traffic solutions for the long term
David Stephen writes science news online on ground report and lives in Surulere, Lagos. He can be reached by email: stephen@trpns.com
