Traffic is so light in Lagos today, I'm still singing in the harmattan [Opinion]

Jude Egbas 13:26 - 02 January 2020

A shot of the Lekki Toll gate without the usual car activity on an average day (Pulse)

Made it to the office in record time today, please don’t come back to Lagos if you traveled out for Christmas!!

It’s the shortest time it’s taken me to commute to work since...well...this time last year!

And I hardly went past 90 on the speedometer, didn’t break a sweat, there was no road rage, everyone obeyed traffic lights, motorists obeyed speed limits, kept a respectable distance from the car before them, no one was bashing the other's car and traffic personnel were generally courteous.

This is not Abuja, people. It's Lagos!!! Eko.

It took me a little over 30 minutes to commute from Surulere to Lekki on a Thursday morning, people!!! It takes me two hours or more to make the same trip on a normal work day in Lagos. Hold on, this only happened because it’s January 2, 2020 and most folks haven’t resumed for work yet or are still in their villages? Then we should make sure these folks do not come back to our Lagos. Okay, that was a joke.

However, if wishes were horses….

Seriously, how do we make this permanent or near permanent in Lagos? How do we make sure people obey traffic laws, that traffic is well managed, that traffic is lighter on the busiest routes to and from work and that commuting round the city is not some world war every other day?

Lagos Gov Sanwo-Olu addressing traffic management personnel (Lagos govt)

How do we keep this sanity that you can find in Lagos only in the first week of a new year? How do we ensure that we aren’t all losing our manners in Lagos in the second week of a new year? How do we ensure that Lagosians obey traffic laws, sanitation laws and every other law enacted by the state all through January to December?

Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu definitely has his work cut out for him in this overpopulated, crazy or insane city. And he can pull it off if the government becomes innovative for once. Yes, Lagos presents a peculiar mess because of its population, but with the right methods and personnel from Alausa, the wild inhabitants of this very energetic city can be tamed.

By the way, I’ll be leaving for home at exactly 5pm today and I know I’ll be home before 6pm. Yes, in this same Lagos!!! Please enh, for all of you who traveled out of Lagos, ensure not to return with a relative or two. Just tell them that Lagos is full and you are the last person allowed in.