Beating Lagos traffic might feel like navigating a maze while blindfolded, which is tough but not impossible! Here are five tips to make your commute less of a nightmare:
Begin Your Day Before the Sun Does
Who needs sleep when you can avoid traffic? Leaving your residence before dawn may seem drastic, but consider it a head start on the rest of Lagos. You’ll sail through the traffic while everyone else is still snoozing. Sure, you may feel like a creature of the night, but you will be ahead of the herd.
Embrace the *Okada* Lifestyle
Consider swapping in your car for an Okada. Sure, it’s perilous, and you’ll have to summon your inner action hero, but nothing cuts through traffic like a motorbike. Motorcycles, often known as “okadas,” are the unofficial monarchs of Lagos streets.
They can manoeuvre through traffic with the agility of a skilled stunt driver. If you’re courageous enough to get on one, you’ll cut your commuting time in half. Just remember that helmets are required, and a little prayer doesn’t hurt!
Use Google Maps as your co-pilot
In Lagos, Google Maps is more than just an app; it’s a survival tool. With traffic that can turn a 15-minute commute into a two-hour nightmare, you’ll need all of the assistance you can get.
Google Maps provides real-time traffic information, reroutes, and projected arrival times. Follow its advice religiously, but expect the occasional “Are you sure this is a road?” Make it work for you, and you might find yourself saving valuable minutes on your commute—or at least finding parts of Lagos you didn’t know existed.
The Great Third Mainland Bridge Gamble
The Third Mainland Bridge is Lagos’ longest bridge, and on some days, it functions as a racetrack, making you feel like you’re in a Fast & Furious movie, speeding across with the wind in your hair.
On other days, it’s more like a parking lot, where you can listen to your favourite podcast, have breakfast, and still have time to reflect on life—all without moving an inch.
Befriend a Danfo Driver
Danfo drivers are the unofficial rulers of Lagos roads; they know every trick in the book and can handle traffic with ease. If you can form a friendship with a danfo driver, you might be able to obtain access to their secret knowledge. Ride along and you’ll see them perform movements that defy traffic laws and, in some cases, physics.
You’ll also get a front-row ticket to the actual Lagos, as described by someone who knows it inside and out. Remember that, while traffic is an inescapable aspect of life in Lagos, taking a proactive approach might help the journey go more smoothly and stress-free.
