Traffic lights or Traffic Decorations?


From childhood,  we have been taught to always obey traffic laws.Subjects like Civic Education and Social Studies accommodated traffic regulations as part of the scheme of work. Even the old primary school poems created awareness.A particular nursery rhyme remains vivid in my head.It says:"When you see the traffic light,red means stop;yellow means ready and green means go...go...go!". As simple as this sounds,we tend to do otherwise.This leaves me wondering why Nigerians would rather remain lawless than be patriotic.

It is no longer surprising to see drivers drive past traffic lights that are beaming red.I had thought that this was the trend with  commercial drivers(danfo drivers) but these days private drivers have joined the league.Once the coast is clear(i.e when no police officer or any law official is not in sight,it was pointless to be held back by mere traffic lights!The next thing was to hit the accelerator and zoom off.Drivers take laws into their hands and do what they like on our roads.

Sadly,we are all culprits.Imagine you going for an interview or an appointment and you are being held up in the traffic.You would not mind if the driver disobeys the traffic lights,takes one way or violate a traffic law.You would even suggest ideas to the driver if he happens to be law abiding.People would wonder what planet the driver came from for him to be driving so obediently.This goes to show how Nigerians lack patience.

 We are always in hurry.In a hurry to do what?-to get rich quick,to finish school in time,be first on the queue and all.Yet we always talk about African timing.To be a driver in Nigeria particularly Lagos,one has to be rough,rugged and raw.There was a joke that you can always identify a Nigerian anywhere because they were always impatient because they are the ones to  in jump queues,run after buses,cut corners and the likes.

The educational sector is also experiencing this impatience,you find parents overlooking basic six for their children and rushing them to Junior secondary school.Even those in the  SS1 can start applying to write JAMB to gain admission into the university.Some classes seem to be unworthy of the entire process.
Now back to the matter,the traffic lights at times get me thinking if they are working at all because sometimes the road could be free and for no reason the red light just pops up.Besides it is a machine and it is prone to malfunction.Whatever be the situation,it must be obeyed. The purpose of its being in Nigerian roads is to ease traffic.I would not want to believe that road users are unaware of its usefulness.

There are so many driving schools and most of them are only concerned with practicals.One can learn driving in 5 days or less.How about the classroom teaching where traffic laws and regulations are to be passed across.This does not seem necessary anymore. Learn the basics and start driving is fast becoming the motto of road users.People are on the fast lane .They want to hit the road quickly.Most drivers do not possess a driver's license yet they flood the roads driving recklessly,putting their lives and that of their passengers at risk.Please obey the traffic lights -they are not decorations!

Comments

Anonymous said…
This was truly inspiring and mind blowing. if we search ourselves, we are really guilty of this crime.always wanting to be on the fast lane has taken us nowhere as a nation. Thumbs up Akpo. Regards,Kieho.
Thanks...truth be told,Nigerians could be impatient but we can change our attitude for better.Thanks!