For the safety of our roads…

Firstly, road is usually not my cup of tea, I am a pilot. I am only being a concerned citizen for how traffic rules are broken every day in Nigeria. How lane discipline is abused and how we get away of it easily with bribe. I was stopped by the FRSC on my way to […]

Firstly, road is usually not my cup of tea, I am a pilot. I am only being a concerned citizen for how traffic rules are broken every day in Nigeria. How lane discipline is abused and how we get away of it easily with bribe.
I was stopped by the FRSC on my way to my 10am appointment with the doctor. I could do the same as others and try to run off but I humbly parked. They requested my papers and driver’s license and I confidently hand it over not noticing my papers had expired one month and a day ago. No argument, of course am at fault but without explaining further he just unlocked my passenger front door, entered and yelled, “Madam, drive to our office!” I did not understand why he forcibly entered my car. I mean I didn’t argue. But if I was given a ticket – similar to how it’s done in must developed countries – I will be able to sort it out later making it easy for both of us. I wouldn’t miss my appointment and he wouldn’t have to leave his duty post. Typically, if I had given him a bribe of 1000 naira he would have gladly step out of the car but why should I help myself when the country needs help to get out of corruption.
He also said my license is fake and he won’t give it back, then how am I supposed to know it’s fake when we don’t print license in my house and I got it from the FRSC office. Besides weather or not you have biometric done, why does it matter, when all of us never went through any test drive or of the sort, to earn it. It really doesn’t change the fact that people drive on the left lane when they are turning right, or the fact that people beat traffic light when it’s on RED. Even a 14-year-old can drive on a Nigerian road because they could go and just pick up a license no stress. Fast forward 7 hours later I was finally done; they keep redirecting me to one person or another. I was really harassed throughout the process. Whining wasn’t necessary, I could say we are already getting used to been treated as such in this kind of offices.
I think the most reason why many Nigerians drive recklessly is not because they do not care for their lives but because honestly they were not thought the knowledge and rules of the road. The drivers that thought you at home usually are illiterates/no knowledge of other passengers right on the road and even in driving license school they only teach you the basics, how to key start, drive, reverse… and actually don’t bother going through the legal rules.
If the law had enforced test drives before obtaining a driver’s license other than finger print-because everyone has a finger, the Nigerian roads will be safer and saner.
I was going through a travel review on Nigeria. Must of the tourists agree the thing they noticed about Nigerians is how they always seem to be in a hurry, and they are right. You notice the tricycles that can hardly travel over 60mph try to push their limit, the taxi drivers are eager to drop the passenger and pick the next one, you and a few others are racing to get to the junction, others are the ones that drive the BMW and the AMG Sports and of course the rest are the ones in a convoy – they always seem to be in a hurry! – and overall speed limit is not obeyed.
Nigerians need to be more acknowledgeable of other drivers on the road. And learn to be more disciplined to make roads safer for everyone.

Nusaiba Bashir Kurfi, [email protected].