Routes traffic handlers apply different rules to commercial, private vehicles

Driving around Lagos is in itself a cumbersome exercise —- No thanks to the multitude of traffic snarls that occur just about anywhere, especially where motorists elect to banish common sense and display madness, or where the government has decided to discountenance a pothole until it’s big enough to swallow an entire car.

To ensure orderliness across the state in terms of vehicular movement, Lagos State has traffic rules to guide how drivers and motorists move across the city.
 
But sometimes, to navigate the hectic traffic, bad sections of road or using a shortcut route, some motorists go against the laid down rules guiding vehicular movement.
 
However, there are several routes in the state where traffic officers and government agencies apply the law different among commercial and private vehicles drivers.

Also of note is that in virtually all the spots and routes where the traffic officers apply conflict rules to vehicular movement, there are no road signs to guide motorists appropriately.
    
For instance, from Oshodi to Ewe-Nla Junction on the service lane of the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway inward Mile 2 is a one-way drive, while from Ewe-Nla Junction up to Berliet Bus Stop on the expressway is two-way.
 
And there are traffic officers, especially Policemen always within the corridor to ensure those who drive against traffic are apprehended, but they seem to focus on only private vehicle drivers as commercial bus drivers who drive against traffic within the corridor are not arrested or cautioned. 
   
The same scenario also applies around Boladale Street. Many motorists moving from the expressway to link up Oshodi Road or Church Street do not know that the stretch between the junction of Olaogun Lane and Church Street on Boladale Street is a one-way driveway.

The section of Boladale Street that is a one-way driveway is about a sixth of the street, but while commercial bus drivers often drive through that section of the road unpenalised but when private vehicle owners drive through, a team of LASTMA officials and policemen are always on hand to apprehend motorists midway into the less than a 200-metre stretch of the street that is one-way.

These officials are sometimes settled inside minibusses while they wait to apprehend unsuspecting motorists, usually private vehicles.
   
The same experience also plays out within the Costain area of the state, where some persons claiming to be traffic officers, specialise in arresting private vehicle drivers that try to make a U-turn in front of the National Theatre from Costain or Ijora.

There are two U-turns, which are a few metres apart. One of the lanes is for those coming from Ijora that need to make a U-turn in front of the National Theatre, while the second is for those coming from Costain. 
 
Similarly, along the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, local council officials are always around to enforce traffic rules but they usually target motorists driving private vehicles.
 
From Agunlejika to Toyota, the council officials are usually available to impound private vehicles that are parked on the road for whatever reasons, yet there are many tricycle drivers and other commercial vehicles that are violating traffic rules but the council officials do not bother them, overlooking their lawlessness but they are quick to go after private vehicle owners.

Similar incident also plays out between Second Rainbow and Cele on the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway inward Mile 2. While commercial bus drivers often drive against traffic without traffic officers calling them to order within that corridor, motorists in private vehicles are usually apprehended when they drive against traffic on that route.

Sharing his experience, Adetayo Solomon said: “As I got to Iyana-Itire Junction, the next logical thing was for me to connect Adeniyi Street, a two-lane road. The inward and outward lanes of the street are separated by a triangle garden.
  
“But rather than connect Adeniyi Street as vehicles driving against traffic from Ilasa are expected to do, I drove beyond Adeniyi Street’s exit lane. And suddenly, some boys in branded local council vests jumped out from their hideout and flagged me down.

“Yet, driving ahead of me were two tricycles. As I granted them an audience, I was informed that I drove against traffic. When I asked them how, they said that I should not have driven beyond Adeniyi Street’s exit lane, as I ought to have used the lane along with other vehicles existing on the street.
  
“As I responded that there was no sign to inform me of what they were saying, they all shouted me down that ignorance is not an excuse in law. Two of them jumped into my car and took me somewhere around Cele Bus Stop, which they claimed was their office. They handed me over to a man, whom they claimed was their senior officer and they disappeared afterwards.”