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 Daily Independent Online.
* Monday, July 26, 2004.
Lagosians call for reintroduction of odd-even
numbers
By
Victor Ebimomi
Reporter, Lagos
Following
the frustrating traffic snarls that usually occur whenever there is
rainfall, particularly on major roads designated as federal, Lagosians
have called for the regulation of vehicles that ply the roads on daily
basis.
They have
also demanded that the state traffic control outfit known as Lagos State
Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) should be given a free hand to
operate in every part of the state.
A
cross-section of the people who expressed their minds to Daily
Independent after the heavy downpour on Monday that led to chaotic
traffic jam in which many commuters had to resort to trekking to their
different destinations, argued that that it was only through the
regulation of the number of vehicles permitted to be on the road at any
particular day as well as the involvement of LASTMA that can bring
traffic sanity to the state.
According to
them, the chaotic traffic situation in the state during this rainy season
is more pronounced in the federal roads than any other roads and as such
there was the need for enforcement agency such as LASTMA to deal with the
situation.
Mr. Eniola
Olaosebikan, a marketer, suggested that there should be a restriction
based on even and odd number system for private vehicles while commercial
ones should be given a free hand to operate in the interest of the
masses. This according to him would go a long way to ease the traffic
congestion that has become a phenomenon in the state. “ I think the way
out is for the government to evolve a system whereby based on number
certain vehicles will not be free to come out at a specific day”.
Mrs. Patricia
Okon, a trader, aligns with that of Olaosebikan. She agreed that there
were too many vehicles in Lagos state and as such there was the need for
strict regulation to check the danger they posed to traffic. She also
suggested that heavy-duty vehicles such as tankers, trucks and trailers
should be restricted to night movement.
Her words: “I
am a car owner, but if vehicle movement is to be regulated I will abide
by it because my experience these few days shows that it can be hellish
going out with your car because of hold-up”.
Mr. Monday
Adetola, a company executive however did not buy the idea of restriction
but situated the problem in the need for effective traffic control
mechanism. According to him, “ let the government put its traffic control
mechanism in order and let LASTMA be in every major roads in the state
irrespective of whether it is federal or state”.
To him once
this is done traffic congestion would be a thing of the past.
He adds:
“See, this LASTMA people are the most effective traffic controllers we
have ever had in this country”.
She located
the problem of traffic congestion in the state to the impatience of Lagos
motorists and absence of traffic officers at the appropriate point,
noting that now more than before the traffic rules needed be enforced to
the letter.
“ Especially
during this rainy season, the traffic rules should be well enforced to
avoid unnecessary traffic confusion by impatient drivers. LASTMA, KAI and
other traffic officers should be fully activated to face the challenges”,
she said.
Commenting on
the ban placed on LASTMA and KAI not operate in the federal roads, she
warned politicians to stop playing politics at the expense of human lives.
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