The Federal Road Safety Commission’s declaration of intent to impound trailers parked indiscriminately on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway is a fresh attempt to tackle an old problem that had defied all manner of solutions in the past. Yet, it is a problem that has to be confronted head-on if road users are to be delivered from the nightmare that travelling on Nigeria’s foremost, and without doubt the busiest, highway has gradually descended into over the years.
Overused and lacking in regular maintenance, the 38-year-old facility that links Lagos, the commercial capital of Nigeria, with the rest of the country has become a shadow of its old self. The road that once made travelling pleasurable between Lagos and Ibadan is now a source of intense hardship and misery to motorists, due to years of neglect. Quite often, potholes are left unattended until they develop into craters which become a death trap for road users. Apart from being a major cause of accidents, failed portions of the road are major reasons for unending stretches of gridlock, with motorists forced to slow down to a crawling pace.
Problems presented by the deplorable state of the road, however, pale in comparison to the prowling menace of articulated vehicles, which, in the absence of a functional and efficient rail system, have stepped in to fill the gap in Nigeria’s haulage business. Apart from the danger posed by incessant breakdowns arising from poor maintenance, the vehicles are sometimes parked indiscriminately on both sides of the road, leading to obstructions and, sometimes, accidents.
Although this scenario is common on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, it is by no means limited to that road; articulated vehicles are a menace in practically every part of the country, where they sometimes use their size to deny other road users their right of access. Scenes of improperly-latched container-bearing vehicles emptying their contents on the road and obstructing the free flow of traffic for hours on end have become commonplace in practically every part of the country. At night, thick smoke billowing from their exhausts results in significant reduction in visibility for other motorists.
The rear lights of some of the articulated vehicles, many of which have seen better days, are almost perpetually in a state of malfunction, making it difficult for other motorists to notice them when they break down in the night. Even in situations where they apply their brakes, it may not be obvious to vehicles coming from behind because the brake lights might long have been out of use. The consequences, in many cases, have been fatal.
This is why the decision of the FRSC to move against irresponsible trailer drivers is certain to resonate well with other road users. In fact, that move could not have come at a better time; with construction work currently under way to ensure that the now dilapidated road is properly restored, the level of discomfort is already proving to be unbearable. A journey of an hour or a little more from Ibadan to Lagos now takes up to four hours in some days. Last Friday, people had to spend the night on the road.
While the construction work may, doubtlessly, have contributed to the current harrowing nature of trips on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, the experience has been further compounded by trailers indiscriminately lined up in such a way that they significantly encroach on the highways and hamper the free movement of traffic. Only an orderly and responsible conduct – such as can be achieved when the excesses of articulated vehicles are sufficiently curbed – can ensure that the hardship level is reduced to the barest minimum.
Unfortunately, ensuring responsible driving habits has been difficult over the years. Aside from the construction work narrowing the passage available for road users, trailer drivers who park their vehicles indiscriminately have succeeded in ensuring that the three lanes on each side of the road are reduced to just one. It is now a feat for one to manoeuvre one’s way through the heavy traffic without having one’s vehicle bashed, especially by the ubiquitous commercial mini buses.
The FRSC’s decision to reduce the menace of the articulated vehicles will only become a relief if the agency succeeds in taming the unruly drivers. This is because previous efforts to do so, even by state governors, had come up abysmally short. One of such attempts was championed by the former governor of Ogun State, Gbenga Daniel, who did not only build parks for them – which they refused to patronise – but also attempted to impound offending vehicles. In the end, he was forced to release the vehicles. As governor, Babatunde Fashola also had a running battle with these trailer operators in Lagos State. At a point, it took the intervention of businessman, Aliko Dangote, to bail out the errant drivers by paying their fines.
Beyond mere pronouncement, the FRSC has to demonstrate the capacity to curb the excesses of these drivers. A top official of the commission once confessed to not having adequate vehicles to patrol the highway, let alone breakdown truck to tow impounded vehicles, especially with the drivers always attempting to resist arrest.
Intention to impound offending vehicles as stated by Oludare Ogunjobi, an assistant corps commander, recently has to be matched by the political will, not only to truly enforce the order, but to further tighten regulations.
In the United Kingdom, for instance, drivers of articulated lorries have specific number of hours they must work daily. In-between that period – usually about nine to 10 hours – they are required to take a rest of between 30 and 45 minutes. There are also designated places on the road where they can park and take a rest. These requirements are strictly enforced.
Bringing in innovations such as these could help in restoring sanity to our roads. Aside from ensuring that the drivers are well rested, it will help in reducing the rate of accidents, some of which are caused by fatigue. But beyond that, traffic managers have to enforce the order that vehicles are parked only at approved and designated places.
