Ibadan and traffic

Yesterday on our return trip, there was a "go slow" on the expressway south from Ibadan to Lagos. Normal for Sunday afternoon when the mega churches along this stretch of road let out. But it was too early for that, not even one in the afternoon. Those preachers go at least until 2 pm or even later if they're really geared up.

We had been sailing along on the double carriageway at about 60 kph, two lanes in each direction, the road good and traffic light. This direction the tanker trucks are empty and can move right along too. Then we all came to a halt.

Immediately, the right shoulder became another lane. Even though dirt, with huge dips and puddles, vehicles moved over. I noticed that the transport mini buses were a large proportion of them and began to wonder if there was some local knowledge at play. The left shoulder became a traffic lane the opposite direction, as vehicles turned around to go back to where there was a place to get across the dividing wall and get on the other side of the carriageway. Sure enough, in a short time there was a steady flow going against the traffic on that side, and they were moving well.

We were not willing to take either option, so stuck it out in the lane we were in. Although we did have to deal with a steady flow of vehicles trying to merge from the right shoulder back onto the pavement, especially when a large pothole loomed. Since there is no such thing as politely letting someone into your lane, especially when they have gained an advantage by moving over and now want back in, we had an ongoing match of chicken with the merging vehicles.

I could see that this wasn't a predicable go slow by the lack of vendors between the lanes. There were just a few. In the places where jams are regular, the vendors are too. Here their lack signaled something out of the ordinary. Hopefully an accident of some sort that will have clear traffic once we get past. That thought offered some hope of not having to creep several hours into Lagos.

It was an accident. There was a large truck overturned blocking all but one lane of the road. Everyone had to merge into the lane we were in, so it was pretty slow and nerve racking, but at least we could see some hope. The cab of the trunk had apparently gone off onto the left shoulder which was soft, so the cab flipped and took the trailer with it. Guiness bottles, cartons of them were strewn about. They appeared to be empties, headed back to the brewery.

We had seen one flipped over truck going north, that one loaded with floor tiles and computers and now one going back south. Once we had cleared the beer truck, we were sailing along again and made it to Ikoyi by about 2:30 pm. Good time for leaving Ibadan at around 11:00 am.

It had been a pleasant weekend at the IITA.

BTW traffic jams caused by mega churches are a world wide phenomenon. WWJP? (where would Jesus park?)