When driving in Lagos – anything can happen.

In Lagos, driving is always an adventure that is laden with a lot of unpredictability.

Interestingly, there are so many things we experience while diving around Lagos that cannot be predetermined.  One can only hope for one’s safety and security.

Anyway, here are some of those experiences that can happen on us as we travel around on Lagos roads.

Traffic

It is almost impossible to predict the Lagos traffic scenario you will encounter as you drive out. You can barely correctly predict how the traffic will turn out.

For instance, at points where you believe that traffic would be light, you just end up finding a gridlock there. Weekends are even more notorious. On weekends, you would expect the roads to be free, however, such expectations often turn out to be wishful thinking.

It is because of this that it is often advised that in order to keep up with schedules, one should endeavor to leave for an appointment an hour or two ahead of time.

Police Check-Point

Coming across a police checkpoint is almost inevitable. The police are very creative in concealing their checkpoints at places that you least expect. Especially at places where you run into them suddenly.

The presence of police-check points is a source of worry even to the most law-abiding citizens. This so because, no matter how free of offence you are, the police at check points always find a way to delay and waste your time.

Okada/ Keke Marwa

“Okada” and “Keke Marwa” are two necessary traffic nuisances. Their riders are notorious for recklessness on the road. They typically struggle for the right of way with vehicles that are a hundred times their sizes.

Their appearances within the line of vision of car drivers are often unpredictable. They suddenly appear from your blind side and narrowly escape being knocked down by you. Collision with them are often averted due to the very functional brakes and  quick reflexes of the drivers of the larger vehicles.

Potholes and Manholes

Potholes have become inevitable on roads in Lagos. Hitting a pothole, while driving in Lagos, is almost as certain as day and night. As you drive, you know you will hit a pothole; however, the question is, when and where it will happen?

Indeed, it is always unpredictable where a pothole or a manhole will show up on the roads.

Someone once likened driving in Lagos to playing a video game. You know your nemesis will appear, but where and when is what you cannot predict.

Tax/ Revenue Collectors

If there is any State in Nigeria, or perhaps in Africa, that is enormously creative in instituting new revenue systems, it is Lagos state.

One can drive on Lagos state only to encounter task force or revenue collecting agents for levies you never knew existed.

They can collect levies for the most ridiculous reasons. For instance, you can be levied for branding your vehicles, for using a company car, for having an AC in your car, for running on half tank, for using a particular colour for your car, for having a female companion in your car, etc.

One-Way Traffic

In Lagos, nothing scares motorists than being apprehended by the authorities for inadvertently driving into a road that is “One-Way”.

Indeed, Lagos is notorious for having “One-Way” roads, but with absolutely no road signs to indicate so.

However, what is unpredictable in all of these is that, roads designated as one way can appear overnight. In other words, a particular road that was in no way One-Way the previous day, can suddenly be designated as one way the following day. And there will be no road sign to announce the new status.

The Cause Of A Traffic Gridlock

All of a sudden, you run into a long traffic queue or gridlock. Slowly, you drive patiently and cautiously until you get to the end of the traffic queue. The reason for the long queue is often not something that you would have been able to predict. It could be a broken down vehicle. It could be some men at work. It could be a bad spot on the road. It could be caused by the activities of Agberos. It could be a police checkpoint. It could even be caused by absolutely nothing.

Source:

https://autojosh.com/7-things-you-cannot-predict-when-driving-in-lagos/

Yellow buses & their funky rugged conductors and their erratic driving got to keep you jumpy too

Police I can predict as I know their favourite spots.
Potholes I can predict.
But traffic

One day I was driving and Google map said road was free from island to mainland only for me to spend 5hrs at orile.
And they were robbing motorists.
Afraid catch me when then near my car but skipped my jolopy and went to the Lexus behind me.
Na so the Lexus jam my car from back as them dey rob am. Dunno if he wanted to climb all the cars in the traffic gridlock

Agbero...

Thieves

Car snatchers

Kidnappers

Lagos, a country in West Africa.

Na, traffic is dependent on the time of the day n whether or not you are driving against traffic on peak hours.

Good points tho.

So true

Na so

Many times, when taking off from Lagos in the evening and at night, I was amazed to see long lines of yellow... buses. For many kilometers. Yellow, yellow, yellow. So some poor soul working 9am till 5pm would enter the bus at 5, arrive home 10pm or even later, just to wake up at 4 or 5am the following day in order to come to work on time. Its horrible. So please, dont tell me this or that governor is working. My a$$ is working.

Levies for having a female companion. Lmao.

That revenue collector got me

ok

Lagos and traffic gridlock are like five and six. Whenever I encounter traffic jams anywhere outside Lagos, and I see people complaining, I would be looking at them as saraki is looking at Bubu right now...

Because Lagos is the only city having confirmed traffic gridlock in Nigeria

Lol

Lagos traffic shaa,
Sometimes i don't understand.

Then police and tax force peeps, those ones are clueless sometimes, they'll ask for all documents, you present all, next thing u hear is, 'oga, anything for the boys?' Lol. Just tell us u want gala and fanta money biko.


Danfo, keke, and okada,
These ones that will be driving like it's fast and furious 7.lol.


Honestly, lag sweet, Eko ile, but stress no be here.

The one-way thing is so correct. I don fight and beg police&Lastma taya. Most times there are no signposts to even tell you this is a one-way drive.

I beg to differ op, but what the hell is so special about Lagos traffic, there's traffic everywhere across the country and some of those things you listed above is in every state of the federation .

velai:
Lagos and traffic gridlock are like five and six. Whenever I encounter traffic jams anywhere outside Lagos, and I see people complaining, I would be looking at them as saraki is looking at Bubu right now...

Because Lagos is the only city having confirmed traffic gridlock in Nigeria

is buhari making mistake in his recitation or they are suspecting the men on his left side

How can you not predict traffic?

it's always there!!!!!

Side mirror destroyers (okada & keke riders) in traffic.

psalmson001:
Side mirror destroyers (okada & keke riders) in traffic.

I'm telling you

95% of cars in Lagos hv scratched bumbers due to bumber to bumber nd fast and furious style of driving

autojosh:
When driving in Lagos – anything can happen.

In Lagos, driving is always an adventure that is laden with a lot of unpredictability.

Interestingly, there are so many things we experience while diving around Lagos that cannot be predetermined. One can only hope for one’s safety and security.

Anyway, here are some of those experiences that can happen on us as we travel around on Lagos roads.

Traffic

It is almost impossible to predict the Lagos traffic scenario you will encounter as you drive out. You can barely correctly predict how the traffic will turn out.

For instance, at points where you believe that traffic would be light, you just end up finding a gridlock there. Weekends are even more notorious. On weekends, you would expect the roads to be free, however, such expectations often turn out to be wishful thinking.

It is because of this that it is often advised that in order to keep up with schedules, one should endeavor to leave for an appointment an hour or two ahead of time.

Police Check-Point

Coming across a police checkpoint is almost inevitable. The police are very creative in concealing their checkpoints at places that you least expect. Especially at places where you run into them suddenly.

The presence of police-check points is a source of worry even to the most law-abiding citizens. This so because, no matter how free of offence you are, the police at check points always find a way to delay and waste your time.

Okada/ Keke Marwa

“Okada” and “Keke Marwa” are two necessary traffic nuisances. Their riders are notorious for recklessness on the road. They typically struggle for the right of way with vehicles that are a hundred times their sizes.

Their appearances within the line of vision of car drivers are often unpredictable. They suddenly appear from your blind side and narrowly escape being knocked down by you. Collision with them are often averted due to the very functional brakes and quick reflexes of the drivers of the larger vehicles.

Potholes and Manholes

Potholes have become inevitable on roads in Lagos. Hitting a pothole, while driving in Lagos, is almost as certain as day and night. As you drive, you know you will hit a pothole; however, the question is, when and where it will happen?

Indeed, it is always unpredictable where a pothole or a manhole will show up on the roads.

Someone once likened driving in Lagos to playing a video game. You know your nemesis will appear, but where and when is what you cannot predict.

Tax/ Revenue Collectors

If there is any State in Nigeria, or perhaps in Africa, that is enormously creative in instituting new revenue systems, it is Lagos state.

One can drive on Lagos state only to encounter task force or revenue collecting agents for levies you never knew existed.

They can collect levies for the most ridiculous reasons. For instance, you can be levied for branding your vehicles, for using a company car, for having an AC in your car, for running on half tank, for using a particular colour for your car, for having a female companion in your car, etc.

One-Way Traffic

In Lagos, nothing scares motorists than being apprehended by the authorities for inadvertently driving into a road that is “One-Way”.

Indeed, Lagos is notorious for having “One-Way” roads, but with absolutely no road signs to indicate so.

However, what is unpredictable in all of these is that, roads designated as one way can appear overnight. In other words, a particular road that was in no way One-Way the previous day, can suddenly be designated as one way the following day. And there will be no road sign to announce the new status.

The Cause Of A Traffic Gridlock

All of a sudden, you run into a long traffic queue or gridlock. Slowly, you drive patiently and cautiously until you get to the end of the traffic queue. The reason for the long queue is often not something that you would have been able to predict. It could be a broken down vehicle. It could be some men at work. It could be a bad spot on the road. It could be caused by the activities of Agberos. It could be a police checkpoint. It could even be caused by absolutely nothing.

Source:

https://autojosh.com/7-things-you-cannot-predict-when-driving-in-lagos/

You forgot to add road safety interception.