Feb. 16: Ocada - Lagos

If you are ever cruisin' the streets of Lagos...hmmm, let me correct that - If your driver is ever cruisin' in Lagos with you in the car, you will undoubtably see the ocada. What are the ocada? Basically, they are motorcycle taxis. They have the distinct advantage of being able to weave in and out of traffic to get their passengers across the congested, thick Lagos gridlock.

Despite their valuable service that they provide to the pressed Lagos business man, the 'real' drivers (i.e. those that drive cars) all seem to hate them. In fact my driver (a.k.a. my main man Sunday) hopes that they will some day be banned from the streets (apparently they did this in Port Harcourt - but I cannot confirm that statement).

Personally, I find them kind of entertaining to watch (but I am not driving). Here are some photos that might show you why the drivers hate them though.


This is a picture taken in my side mirror while waiting to cross an intersection. They line up along side and in between the vehicles.

For safety reasons I am not allowed to use the Ocada to get around. But if I were to use an ocada, I would definitely use this guy.

Here they are waiting to cross the same intersection as the first two pictures. This was taken from a different point of view.

This intersection is not quite as busy. You can see the business man in the white shirt catching a ride to his next destination.


Happy cruisin' in Lagos!