On March 17 this year, the Anambra State House of Assembly urged the state government to decongest traffic by establishing more public motor parks and functional bus stops for public transport in the state. This is the reason more motor parks and bus stops are springing up at strategic locations across the state, especially in Awka capital territory.

A motor park is a station where passengers get on or off a bus or taxi. There are many reasons why motor parks are established in designated areas. They include decongesting traffic, generating revenue, improving aesthetic value of the environment and most importantly to save lives.

Unfortunately, because of some people’s very low value for lives, most commercial bus and keke drivers, instead of using the motor parks for loading and disembarking their passengers do that at the centre of the road, thereby endangering not only their lives but also that of their passengers. This reckless attitude of drivers is always the major cause of traffic jam and gridlock grid lock on our roads.

Sometimes, these drivers avoid using the motor parks because they want to slip pass revenue collectors or they are in a haste to meet up with their financial target for the day. However, no reason is cogent enough to warrant for improper use of motor parks. Several lives have been lost because of this negligence and any life lost can never be regained.

It is lack of civility and good manners on the part of the bus and keke drivers to continually refuse to use motor parks while picking up or discharging passengers while on transit.

On the other hand, passengers should speak out against this negative attitude to protect their lives. This is because road safety is everyone’s business and we all must be committed to it. Road safety should be classified as an issue of public health importance.

Stakeholders and relevant government agencies, including traffic control officials and those in charge of motor parks should play their parts to ensure drivers and passengers’ safety. They must insist that drivers make proper use of the parks as well as bus stops. No keke, shuttle or bus driver should be allowed to pick or drop passengers along the road, which is always to the detriment of other road users.

In addition, there is need for creation of more parking spaces, especially in market areas to ensure conducive environment for traders, buyers and motorists. Traders selling on the roads and pedestrian walkways close to markets should be evacuated to help decongest traffic because they constitute nuisance.

For instance, going to Eke Awka market anytime of the day, is fast becoming a nightmare with shop owners and non shop owners, displaying their wares on the roads with reckless abandon. This attitude portrays the traders as people who value money more than their lives.

On several occasions, vehicles have ran into traders and buyers engaged in commercial activities on the roadsides, especially in Onitsha, leaving several  people dead and others maimed for life.

Government officials whose duty it is to facilitate orderliness in these areas should take up the gauntlet and restore decency in our roads.

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