Disobeying Traffic Lights: A Menace Around UI

0

Oluwatayo Ogundare 

When Amaka, a fresh student of the University of Ibadan, was nearly crushed by a fast-moving taxi on her way to get some toiletries at Shokem supermarket because she thought the taxi driver would stop to observe the red light signals of the traffic lights, she made a vow never to follow the traffic lights again and to always cross the road whenever she deemed fit to be safe.

In Nigeria, we wake up every day clamouring for a better country, but we as citizens have failed to be a catalyst of change in the society. One of the things peculiar to Nigerians is adhering to old ways of doing things, which sometimes endanger our lives and put others at risk. One of these is the usage of roads without regard to the traffic light signals by road users—motorcyclists, motorists, and pedestrians.

According to Wikipedia, traffic lights, traffic signals, or stoplights are signalling devices positioned at road intersections, pedestrian crossings, and other locations in order to control the flow of traffic. The installation of the traffic lights along the road is to curb issues like road accidents, ensure free movement of vehicles and pedestrians, and improve road safety.

Around the beginning of the second part of this year, the Oyo state government reconstructed the Agbowo/Bodija road and also installed traffic lights along this road. All these to ensure access to good roads, easy movement of vehicles, reduction in road accidents, reduction in collisions at road intersections and crossings, among others.The trend of disobeying the traffic lights, especially the one in front of the University of Ibadan main gate, among road users, not excluding students who are the main perpetrators of this act, has been accepted as a norm. 

To be a rule-abiding road user, it takes discipline, deliberacy, and courage. The traffic lights are there to communicate to both the drivers and the pedestrians to ensure free flow of movement and to prevent occurrences like the formal. Unfortunately, when we, as road users, fail to partake effectively in this communication and decide to take actions into our hands, we are left to anticipate the encounter of the unexpected.

Reacting to this trend, students of the University of Ibadan shared their views about the possible reasons behind the disobedience of these traffic light rules. Reasons like lack of effective time management, alien culture, negligence, illiteracy, and misinformation, among others, play major roles in this development.

For Eyinda Gallotu, a 300-level student of the department of Communication and Language Arts, he noted that he’s hardly aware of the traffic lights, and for this, more conscious efforts must be made by the law enforcement agencies to make people adhere to traffic signals.

“I think it will take a while more intentional effort from law enforcement for Nigerians to get used to certain things like traffic lights. Personally, I hardly even remember that there’s a traffic light there, and I noticed other pedestrians and drivers hardly notice it as well,” he said.

Joel, an English student, emphasised that it’s a new culture that may be alien to the people, and he also blamed the act on the accustomed nature of an average Nigerian, which is to always flout rules with little regard for punishments. He lamented the absence of officers on scenes to enforce traffic rules.

“I won’t say I’m surprised because it’s not only happening in UI where people don’t stop to observe traffic rules. It will take a lot of time for people to start obeying traffic rules because it’s been long since they’ve been moving around the area without any regulations. I’m not even sure there are officers there. Average Nigerians don’t want to stop to observe traffic rules because we have a lot of things to do. It’s just Nigeria happening every time. It’s just like when people eat and they decide to litter the environment with nylons, and that’s decadence over a period of time.” He explained.

Adeyemi Precious, on her part, highlighted the lack of adequate time management of Nigerians, which often leads to impatience during driving and road crossing. 

“As road users, we are too impatient, and this boils down to time management. If you’ve actually done what you’re supposed to do at the right time, you won’t be too impatient to stop when the traffic lights indicate so. It’s better to be late than to be late. The traffic lights are just like a figurehead, and given the fact that we’re students, we should do better.”

There are various ways in which the road users and the government can make these traffic lights effective. When asked further, students gave reasonable approaches to how an issue like this can be solved.

Galloti beloved that consciousness should be the priority of individuals and the government should put effort into ensuring that officers are placed at major points to create awareness and to enforce punishments on offenders.

“I think we as individuals should strive to be more conscious of the signals. For the government, I think they should place one or two persons there for now to constantly remind people to use the signals.” He added.

Joel also shared the same opinion with Galloti. He added that there should be strict punishments for offenders, and road users must always ensure they take responsibility for their behaviours.

“What I think the government can do is make officers available there, day and night, not forever but for this period of time till people at least start to adhere to the rules. Also, strict discipline for people who violate. We, as individuals, should take responsibility for our behaviour. The little part that we contribute are the things that make Nigeria good or bad.” He said.

Precious maintained the government has done its part in constructing the traffic lights, and it’s left to us as road users to adhere to the usage of the traffic lights.

“The government has done its best in constructing the lights, and I think that is the best thing to do, and they did it for us. Pedestrians should then make sure to follow the rules and regulations to ensure smooth flow.” She added.

Among other solutions include digital monitoring of road users, investing in improved technology, mass sensitisation of citizens about the importance of adhering to traffic lights, fines and imprisonment for offenders, and confiscation of automobiles for chronic offenders, among others.

It is pertinent to note that Nigeria won’t just become great all of a sudden. It’s the aggregate works of individuals that will ensure the development of society. Road users should strive to be decent and disciplined when it comes to following rules and regulations. The system will only work when the people in the system decide to make it work.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *