5 things that cause traffic congestion on Nigerian roads

Posted by Chidinma on Wednesday April 1, 2015 at 11:35:53:

One thing that is synonymous to Nigerian roads is the issue of road congestion especially in Cities like Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt; a drive that would have taken 15 minutes may end up taking up to 2 hours all thanks to road congestion.

Let’s look at some of the major causes or factors that lead to road congestion in major Nigerian roads.

1. Police Check Points: Police and Road Safety workers set up check points on major roads to check up road users that ply that way and also a way of curtailing crime; these checks points contribute to road congestion as the checks are carryout very slowly by one or two Officers. Motorists also see this checkpoints as points setup by the police to collect money from them.

2. Bad Roads: Bad or damaged roads are also a major contributing factor to road congestion; almost all the major roads in Nigeria are bad, and the good ones have numerous pot holes on them, leaving drivers with no other option but to slow down when using such roads.

3. Rush Hour Traffic: rush hour is that period when there is serious traffic because to many road users are trying to get to their destination at about the same time. In Nigeria, it normally occurs in the morning from 7.30 am to 8.00am and in the evening from 4.00pm till 7.00pm. Rush hour traffic mostly leads to road congestion and vehicle damage.

4. Broken Down Vehicles: We don’t normally have road side mechanics that can take care of vehicles that break down on roads; meaning that any vehicle that breaks down on the road is left there while the owner goes to look for a mechanic or toll company. If it is a heavy duty vehicle, it will lead to road congestion until it is removed from the road.

5. Accidents: when there is a major hours, you can bet that there will be congestion on that road for the next few hours until the vehicle is taken away.