NIGERIAN ROADS ARE LIKE SHIRTS WITHOUT BUTTONS – Patrick Adenusi

Mr Patrick Adenusi, Chief Executive Officer, Safety Beyond Borders, SBB

Nigerian roads have been described as a beautiful designer shirt that has no button nor button-hole and the wearer is left to fidget on what to do, and how to close the opening in making the shirt fitting and effectively do what it’s supposed to do inefficiently covering the wearer’s body.

The over 60,000 kilometres of asphaltic roads out of the 195,000 kilometres roads in Nigeria have also been dubbed as grossly deficient in proper lane markings and as such, posed a challenge to all road users- drivers, pedestrians, motorcyclists- thus constituting a clear and present danger to road safety.

The Chief Executive Officer, Safety Beyond Borders, SBB, Mr Patrick Adenusi, made the submission in his goodwill message at the Lagos State Government event dubbed, Drivers’ Appreciation Day”, held at Ekofm multipurpose hall.

Adenusi said on most of the occasions when commuters’ travel time is unduly elongated, often the culprit is the lack of lane markings which will leave the drivers sitting next to Nellie in navigating their ways.

He also said often the frustration instigated on the drivers by the non-existence of lane markings and at few points where they exist, but the markings are poorly done, often leading to stress which usually culminated in the violence exhibited by the drivers especially on Lagos roads.

Adenusi asserted that proper lane markings will instigate the correct usage of the road, it will save time and inspires lane discipline by all classes of drivers thus sanity will return to our roads.

The distinguished advocate of road safety beyond borders, Patrick Adenusi, challenged the Lagos state government to be different in this regard.

He urged the Lagos state government to give more than the usual attention to the provision of clear and unambiguous lane markings as another means to help improve the travel time of the over 7 million Lagosians commuting daily on Lagos roads.

He however appealed to motorists to exercise lane discipline and in the same token urged road traffic managers to also enforce lane discipline among the drivers.

Pro. Bamidele Aina Badejo, a former commissioner for transportation in Lagos state, called for improved public education especially among commercial drivers on safe driving in a densely populated area such as obtained in Lagos state.

The septuagenarian urged those in charge of public transport management in the state to take cognizance of the difference between Driving, Driver and the Road.

Hence he urged that public education on road safety be revved up in all the channels that the target groups could be reached.

Prof Bamidele Abiona Badejo gave an admonition to commercial drivers to improve on their grooming as the majority of them often appeared unkempt and most times half-naked with bum shorts and a singlet or bare-chested

Representative of the Lagos State Chairman, National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, Musiliu Akinsanya, AKA MC Oluomo, promised that the union leadership will give more attention to members grooming.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation, Alhaji Kamal Olowoshago, said issues raised by Patrick Adenusi and Prof Badejo “are work in progress by the ministry”.

He said the challenge the ministry had to contend with was the removal of signage in less than 48 hours after their installation.

He however added that the ministry was not deterred as it continued to churn out road signage to guide motorists on Lagos roads to enhance safety and lane discipline.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Hon Olutoyin Fayinka, appealed to the drivers to be more civil and courteous in all they do among themselves as union members, and with the general public who are their customers.

He promised that the state government will continue to support the unions as long as they cooperate with the spate of safe, efficient and economic transportation revolution the Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu’s, BOS, government had begun unveiling to the delight of Lagosians.

The Transportation Commissioner, Dr Frederick Oladehinde, appealed to Lagosians to bear with the government on the usually hectic traffic situation as the government too was in haste to deliver on its electoral promises to Lagosians.

Oladehinde announced that 114 projects are currently being executed in the nooks and crannies of Lagos hence, the diversions being experienced on the roads.

Awards were given to distinguished drivers found to have measured up to the set standards by the organizers. Also given awards were managers who had recorded distinguished performance in public transport management and policy formulation.

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