Traffic in the city

While driving skills in general leave much to be desired out here, traffic jams are pretty much non-existent which is why I was shocked a few weeks ago when I got stuck for 10 minutes or so in traffic that wasn't moving. I had been heading to a meeting and was already late (the taxi guy that normally picks us up in a minivan came with a car instead thus needing 2 trips since there were 5 of us). We were about 4 cars back from where I think the jam started as I could see the police officer walking in the road and no vehicles were being allowed past that. I never did learn what the exact cause was of it but chances are it was some important person that was coming through given how close we were to the presidential palace. One habit people have out here that actually makes traffic worse is when the lane is blocked they just start another lane. Motorbikes and rikshaws will also fit where ever there is space. As a result I wasn't overly shocked when the traffic jam went from one lane (its supposed to be only one lane each direction) to 2 lanes and then finally 3 lanes.... thankfully the oncoming traffic had just enough room to squeeze through on the edge (though they did make good use of the sidewalk in some spots) or we'd be in a gridlock. 

This past weekend there was again a mini traffic jam when the university graduates paraded from the university to the nearby cultural centre. This time it was on a main road that had 2 lanes in each direction and a barrier down the centre. The graduates took up one side of the road and the traffic blocked behind them felt there was no reason to wait so they took over one of the 2 lanes coming in the opposite direction then the 2nd lane. It worked semi-decently until the graduates turned off the main road and everyone wanted to get moving again.... then it was pure chaos as the only way to switch back to the correct side was at an intersection that is normally chaotic. 

 both oncoming lanes full of wrong way traffic (I'm in a minibus in the bus stop area)