Lagos traffic: Road users groan, hawkers smile to the bank

By Onyinyechi Ugwoke and Charles Edu

The Lagos metropolis is known for its traffic jams, also known as “go-slow.” Street hawkers abound in the commercial capital. They use the city’s congested roads to sell a variety of food and household items to motorists stuck in traffic jams.

Normally, hawkers move between cars stuck in traffic and display their goods for passing motorists. The hawkers make quick money by selling their items to motorists and commuters in this manner. A typical traffic jam in Lagos could last several hours amid the scorching sun which necessitates the consumption of water and food.

IKEJABIRD reporters observed that commuting across Lagos metropolis is a nightmare, especially during peak hours. The astonishing thing is that, while motorists have described traffic congestion in Lagos as a hellish experience, hawkers see it as an opportunity for brisk business.

Moshood, a secondary school dropout,said: “Traffic is one of our most treasured moments because we make a lot of money during that period.” Also, when the weather is hot, we make sales.

When asked why he chooses roadside hawking over other menial jobs, he replied: “Will a monthly salary of 10k to 30k pay for my house rent and other personal needs? No business wey no get risk. “Na hustle, I dey hustle, I no dey do robbery and I no kill people.”

Drivers use more fuel than usual during their lengthy traffic delays and spend more time on the road. It is also exhausting for passengers, who must endure thawing heat from the sun as well as from the car engines.

A commercial driver, Stanley,said:” When there is heavy traffic, that is the day our hustle for the day becomes meaningless. Usually, I turn off my car’s engine to manage fuel.

Every day on the field, these hawkers are faced with daunting challenges, including those posing threats to their lives. Many of them have been knocked down by vehicles and sustained severe injuries, while some have died in the process. Some hawkers have been arrested by the Lagos State Special Task Force and their goods confiscated for flouting the law.

“Na for this very place, last year, (Maryland traffic); motor jam one of us, when Taskforce dey pursue us, they rush the guy go hospital” Francis, a plantain chips hawker, said.

Despite the fact that street hawking is illegal in Lagos State, selling various items in traffic has become the norm. It continues on the majority of the expressways and other busy routes throughout the state.

Hawkers of various products have a field day at any slight traffic congestion, day or night. Many motorists believe that these hawkers exacerbate traffic congestion by running in the middle of the road among moving vehicles to make sales.

Enobong Kufre, a government worker, expressed his displeasure with traffic hawkers.

“These hawkers are one of Lagos’ major problems. The majority of them are robbers who disguise themselves as hawkers to rob unsuspecting road users. One of themwho pretended to be a car washer, robbed my colleague,” he said.

Most of them have caused innocent drivers to be sent to prison or spend huge amounts of money treating them after they were hit by their cars.

Blessing Ogudu said: “I am not hawking because I like suffering or running around on sighting Taskforce, but I need to feed myself and my family. My biggest profit is when there is traffic. I don’t have a specific area I hawk my drinks. I go where there is traffic.”

Government has fought unsuccessfully to limit street trading. Rising unemployment, combined with the determination of many unemployed youths to make a living hawking in the streets, makes it extremely difficult to permanently get rid of street hawkers.

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