I just returned to Lagos from Abuja to discover that the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system represented by those silly yellow lines I had been seeing on weekends was finally going to be implemented. Conceptually the BRT seems like a good idea. Huge buses rapidly convey most of the Lagos population from the Mainland to the Island using dedicated lanes. Stubborn people who refuse to take the bus can jostle for the remaining two or three lanes. I waited with baited breath to see how this wonderful idea would be implemented. As I waited, I pictured what was about to unfold. Big red buses would zoom down the BRT lanes while everyone else would stick to the other lanes and not even think about taking the BRT lane. Lagosians would obey the BRT rule religiously and never venture into the BRT lane. I imagined that there would be a force field of some sort to prevent this.
It only took the first couple of days to see that whoever thought of the BRT idea didn't take the lawlessness of Lagosians, the mad Lagos traffic capable to turning even the most timid gentleman into a savage and the inadequacy of enforcement. In practice the BRT has turned out to be a failure. I watch as hapless LASTMA officials try to convince Lagosians to stick to the non-BRT lanes. People just don't care and the truth is that there is no practical way of arresting thousands of motorists flouting the law.
One of the reasons people don't obey such laws is that they feel the system has cheated them. The mentality is "if I don't have water, light, water etc, why should I pay tax and obey traffic laws?", "things are so bad that my obeying will not make a difference?" and "what have I done that is as bad as stealing money like those crooks in Aso Rock?".
(to be continued)
Kshorty1
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3 comments:
It may seem that some can complain about the BRT system because we/they don't have to use a government-created "miracle-time machine", but we all have to suck up the same Lagos traffic.
In my opinoin, things are about to get a lot more worse.
The obvious is the hellova traffic jam we shall be enjoying! Short-term the architects hope but from the test-run Lagosians shall "bond". (Been in tarffic before where everyone turns of their engines at 11:30pm, get out of their cars and starts to gist!) No with the concrete partitions about to decorate Ikorodu expressway.
My Grouse? New lanes/roads should be created for this transport system. What we have is already inadequate, why o why would you take away form that?
Or will there be a ban on the number of vehicles in Lagos? Who remembers the odd and even plate number driving permit years ago.
The sealant is the security in the city. Why will i abandon the comfort (and apparent security) of my private car to keep the traffic light?
Am a true born nigerian and i identify with a government that has a vision for the people dispite the fact that the government stole the electorates vote. But when the government comes out to make something happen, then to hell with the old fashioned moules and danfos that has operated the roads of lagos for the past years with out a guide and regulation and also security of its passengers.Yes i know ma fellow nigerians,something comes out, we critize, then the government does nothing, we still critize it.If a danfo driver withdraws his services cos Fashola and Tinubu has brougth the Brt to lagos, then i think, he is stupid and also at the loosing ends. Are lagosians not hopping onto the new Brt's?
@ Last anonymous post:
Don't get me wrong. I'm not against the BRT system. My problem is with the implementation. The current system has it's flaws which I have already pointed out. Just yesterday, while on Ikorodu road a danfo (bus) driver kept stopping to pick up passengers despite the order to stick to the service lane. Further down a vehicle had broken down on the now two lane expressway thereby obstructing traffic. Normally this vehicle would have been pushed to the service lane but alas the service lane has been barricaded.
This same barricade will also cause an impediment if just one of the BRT buses gets a flat tyre.
I would have thought that the extra wide culvert on parts of Ikorodu Road would be used to widen the road but instead the Government is "beautifying" the space and further reducing the width of the road. Bewildering I think.
The BRT system is a great idea but unfortunately the implementation hasn't been well thought out. I would really like all molues, danfos, okadas and rickety taxis to get off Lagos roads. In all honesty I pray the system works. But I can't see obvious flaws and not point them out.
Cheers mate
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