One key id of Lagos is the ubiquitous 'danfo', no suprise it even spurn a hit years back (recall Mad Melon & Mountain Black?!). For someone who has spent all his/her life in Lagos, it maybe regarded as the only possible commuter vehicle in Nigeria. However, this is not true.
In Benin City (the Edo State capital), the Nissan Vannette holds sway. The few 'danfos' in the ancient city are usually to be found abandoned @ mechanic workshops!
In Onitsha (Anambra State), the public transport vehicle is the Mitshibushi L300 (called 'onu azu' in Igbo; meaning 'fish mouth'). Hardly seen a 'danfo' in the commercial city?!
So I wonder: why is the 'danfo' so popular in Lagos??
Which vehicle brand is used for public transport in your town/city?

Familiarity builds repetition. If an apprentice in those state want to buy a bus, more than likely he spent time during the training years learning in one of those buses. He will know the mechanics and where to get the parts. I wont be surprised if he get same model.

Most mechanic will advise you to get those things that they are familiar with to avoid the issues for them trying to learn new things and the repetition continues to grow.

Gbamm,that is a very good explanation fos it

This guy funny no be small! how will you bring vanette or L300 to Lagos ,
1] if you have full passenger in any of those , where will the conductor stay?
2] the wide sliding door of danfo gives it the advantage of letting multiply passengers move in at the same time , as usually the case in Lagos
3] The parts are cheaper and available
4] the bus itself is cheaper , any okada man can easily upgrade or two conductor can join forces to get one .
5]The body it stonger and not mostly expensive glasses like the other buses
6] in danfo two pple can lap comfortablly, you can't try that in L300
7] Cos of the fat woman in lagos ; one of them can even fill a row of vanette seat , and that means short changing the operator[driver]. Lagosians are wise business pple .

ya? generally government dont think about this even people also ,,, they just use the public vehicle, dont bother about the brand , its fine we are getting the option that it the people think only to use it ,

@sonnie10:
how will you bring vanette or L300 to Lagos,
{U & I know that most of vehicles in Nigeria come thru the Lagos axis; legally, illegally or magically. Hence the above question of 'bring , to Lagos' does not arise}

1] if you have full passenger in any of those , where will the conductor stay?
{the L300 has a rug-covered part of the engine behind the front seats, called 'attachment' in Benin City, where the conductor(s) and even more passengers can decide to sit}

2] the wide sliding door of danfo gives it the advantage of letting multiply passengers move in at the same time , as usually the case in Lagos
{same goes for the L300, feel free to examine one}

3] The parts are cheaper and available
{this rests on the economics of demand & supply; both Benin and Onitsha are major towns/cities in Nigeria and equally have spareparts markets for new, 'belgium', used or condemned motor parts (called 'Ngbuka' in Onitsha)

4] the bus itself is cheaper , any okada man can easily upgrade or two conductor can join forces to get one .
{pls quote the typical price of a 'danfo', L300 and a Vanette and name the city/town used for the quote}

5]The body it stonger and not mostly expensive glasses like the other buses
{yes agreed; L300 and Vanette come fitted with glasses, but once broken, they are replace
d with cheaper substitutes or sticky tape and polythene!!)

6] in danfo two pple can lap comfortablly, you can't try that in L300
{visit Onitsha. Then even for the Vanette which arguably has less passenger space of the above vehicles; lapping is normal in Benin)

7] Cos of the fat woman in lagos ; one of them can even fill a row of vanette seat , and that means short changing the operator[driver]. Lagosians are wise business pple .
{U need a public poll, some data or statistics to prove that Lagosians are wiser biz people than their Benin or Onitsha counterparts OR that fat women only live in Lagos where they can comfortably fit into a 'danfo'}

Denc,
When i said 'bring to Lagos' , remember we were talking about bringing L300 or venette buses into Lagos state transportation system and not the acutal carrying , driving or importing these buses into Lagos state . Never meant to use the phrase literally!
One other thing , danfo is abt 500k while L300 is abt 900k and vanette goes for 600 to 700k .
Another thing i didn't add in my last post , have you boarded a danfo with complet 14 passengers ?compare that with when you are in an L300 with 14 passenger? mile 2 badagery traffic fit hot pass hell fire self

@sonnie10;

OK I see,

Guess the prices quoted are as available in Lagos, right?

Alright, other N'Landers out there, holla from your city/town in West, East, North or South Naija,

Which commuter vehicle brand 'burns' the tarmac in your area??
Is the 'danfo', 'onu-azu', Vanette etc,

And why is it popular over there