Lastma online traffic reports
The dreaded Lastma (Lagos traffic cops) has gone on line with this 'hourly' traffic report:
http://www.lastmalagos.com/trafficreport.htm
As you can see, its so basic its useless. I cannot imagine why anyone would ever want to visit the site regularly. There's a looong way to go before RSS/text-based alerts become common here.
Using a website as a platform for communicating traffic updates in a bandwidth-starved non-wireless country like Nigeria is an exercise in non-thought. Why not have implemented a completely mobile solution? Lastma officials would use handsets (perhaps with a small app on to make it user-friendly), which would be sent by SMS direct to a central server, to be sent as text messages to registered users. Not only would this have been a user-friendly service, it could have made them some money too. One wonders the calibre of IT consultancy Lagos State is getting..
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25 comments:
I wonder how much $$ was awarded to develop that site, it's funny and sad!
It's a start! I'm no pollyanna, but I actually see it as a step in the right direction.
"The young shall grow."
Now, if only they could inform us how much awon officers (as well as awon boys) are collecting at each junction...
i see it as a data store and mini platform, a very essential component of the bigger picture
if the data proves accurate, then its an ok start...but i believe they should be thinking of extending the functions further
at the end of the day, this very data is what shall be transmitted to your pocket-sized mobile system
i believe it will get more robust
then again, the late MKO was awarded a multi billion naira telecom contract (at a time the exchange rate was under 2 naira to the pound)...where are the phone booths?
It is NOT a start!! goodness me! It is a badly done, never thought through, poorly formatted word table/excel sheet.
It looks like a badly done list of debtors or something.
I live abroad but I disagree with those who think that it's alright for everything that we produce to be substandard because "we're still growing"
A basic machine with microsoft office installed is the same everywhere, nigeria or abroad. Get a kid who frequents a cybercafe or otherwise has access to a computer and put him on this basic machine to design a website and you'd be suprised what talent we have.
A good start for me would have been a decent presentation with some functionality - say as far as we can stretch frontpage.
Your SS3 kids would probably come up with a mock-up of this website in less than 2 hours and none of them will look like this!
hissssssssssssssssss.
It is 4am in the morning and this thing is reporting heavy traffic on the TMB, Oshodi and Oworo. Is this really the case or does nobody care?
Too right!! Travel websites have their place no doubt but even in bandwith-robust UK or even bandwidth-obese US. Mobile alerts are still a decent option. I dont necessarily want to haul my laptop with me everywhere I go. PDA's are useless when it comes to displaying websites. Mobiles have a better reach generally...plus you can actually go online using a mobile.
It is a start. Maybe you guys could send them your comments to [email protected] and tell them how they could improve upon this service. Afterall, they are in the testing phase. It could be a useful tool for people leaving work to check what traffic is like before heading out. That is just one example of its usefulness. It is always easier to criticize and bemoan minor developments. It requires a little more effort to reach out and encourage change in the right direction.
What do you expect when you put a mechanic in charge of agricultural projects.
It's because they're still testing the website that it's still available for you to assess that you have something to say. Wait till it's finished and the 'contractors' have been paid. The perpetual message will be 'The page cannot be displayed'.
'The page cannot be displayed'.
lmao
Who needs encouragement
It's not a start!! The 'encouragement' that you mention is unnecessary in this instance. Who's listening anyway? They probably gave the job to someone on whatever basis but merit.
I bemoan the fact that talents abound yet not used. Back in my uni days in nigeria, a good 10 years ago, there were guys who could write computer games - these were not computer science student - they just play around on the computer. Windows was barely known and computers were few and far between. We had a card shop owned by students and the hand designed cards were the bomb even by 2day's standard.
Talents abound - and you dont have to look too far to find them. There are businesses that do web design etc.
In this day and age of windows XP -and before you say 'we're developing' - XP is widely available in Nig. I have used it there. To come up with that kind of website even as a pilot is inexcusable. I would hate to think that any money at all was spent on this.
I actually receive Text messages from LASTMA every now and then telling me when there has been a particularly bad accident somewhere in Lagos.
They helped me from getting stuck a couple of times.
I never asked to get them and they seem very sporadic but I suppose it's a start.
now that,s a start!
Here is what we have in Seattle as a comparion:
http://www.king5.com/traffic/trafficcon.html?seattle
Lmao
Due to the fact that there were comments posted that could possibly help Lastma develop a tool that could be of use to a majority of Lagosians, I took it upon myself to email them some of your comments. Have a nice day, folks!
I am pissed and sad at what you guys are all saying - someone is even comparing it with what they have in Seattle? Sad that when Africans have the opportunity to go and live abroad, they forget where they came from - maybe they even never could afford to eat chicken before, but they go abroad, stuff themselves with chicken and then they put down their African heritage saying it is a place you cant even eat chicken....
I hope these guys will learn, what have they even contributed to the development of Nigeria? I am proud of what I have done. Visit our site, here you can do address search, postcode search, nationwide route planning, find my nearest, get a map, points of interest search, search for airports etc.
Visit www.ceaser-web.com
You all should at least praise people who start with a little effort.
Thanks,
Yemmy.
Where does Jeremy live?
See what he says? Can someone tell him to shut up?
"Using a website as a platform for communicating traffic updates in a bandwidth-starved non-wireless country like Nigeria is an exercise in non-thought."
Nigeria non wireless?? He must be living in another land....
One of the problems facing Nigeria is this type of negative comments without any suggestion on how to do it right. For God's sake this is a a free information age, if they are not doing it right, do a similar design or run your own website and offer the same service to the public.
Oh! Nigerians do not volunteer. Everyone wanted to arrive and make good money as fast as possible. No wonder the whole nation is in a mess.
Stop condemning everything about your nation. Turn negative to positive and make a difference.
I read where one is considering what is obtainable abroad to what is obtainale in Nigeria. Do they know that we do not have the same history or the same background, the same exposure, the same access to the same technology?
We know that Nigeria is not doing most things right and it is due to the advise of the so called talents that failed to study structural engineering to evolve a lasting solution. Shortcut is the name!
Anyway... Get your hands dirty. Join other progressive humans being around the world to build or rebuild your nation.
check www.ceaser-web.com/cm/maps/locatormap for a demo of lagos traffic report.
Check out "Lagos Traffic" by Ghost Traxx for all the Lagos traffic updates you'd ever need. http://youtube.com/watch?v=yNlWuq6nqfs
Unfortunately, I am a late comer in this discussion, but I will say that if LASTMA cannot help us with the traffic, maybe we could help ourselves. Kindly check out the following site (You will need to manually add some streets):
xtraffix.adzoner.com
Please send feedbacks to my email address: [email protected] (please replace 'mydomain' with 'yahoo').
Thanks.
Can some pls HELP me !
How many Nigerians have access to WAP?GPRS.? How many people have internet access?
this just does not make a bit of sense at all anyways I was caught today - on Eko bridge, I accessed the BRT lane and indicated to change lanes with other cars I was the only one stopped out of about 2000 cars. I was taken to their office. Thank God for my mobile PHONE.I made frantic calls and I was eventually released.
How can 3rd mainland bridge be closed with BRT on eko bridge still be in existence I work in ikoyi and its not accessible via any means on public transport except cabs - mention my work place to any taxi and the cost is multiplied by 4!
I think mobile alerts would be the best or radio intervention. I know in the UK any where u are once there is an accident ten channel is intercepted and an announcement takes place. Most of Nigerians listen to radio when commuting , I think this is the most viable option. even better than Mobile alerts. I get mobile alerts from my company and trust me it always comes in LATE.
Bring out ur lappie while in traffic and see area boys in action. bring out your WAP enabled phone and get 2 slaps before u part with it.
Jeremy is truly a Nigeria of British origin . Keep it up!
I really dont understand why there is so much bile in your blog about lastma,but i do know that every new thing has its teething problems considering that u live in the united kigdom which has almost everything going for it,i can understand y your view is myopic.
I DARE REMIND YOU THAT OUR DEMOCRACY IS A WORK IN PROGRESS
Oluwakemi Asekun
Here's a better site:
http://lastmasucks.com
If no one will speak, then i will.Today is the 16th August 2009, LASTMA official at C.M.S link road just before Ijora are thieves dressed in uniforms and should/must be sanctioned.
The very popular link road that is shared with BRT coming from Costain is an avenue for these fat blobs to arrest those trying to get drive across to the extreme left. Instead of doing thier duties by creating a pathway, they stop with so much vile and extreme hunger in thier eyes and charge you or bribe you your months salary. GOD WILL JUDGE!
LASTMA, get your acts together and sanction your officers.
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