Our experiences on night journeys, by drivers

In the past, night journey for many was an unavoidable venture. For the intrepid business man or the trader in diverse merchandise or the energetic student, the only means of meeting up with their appointments was via the services of interstate drivers who ply the nation’s hostile roads in the thick of the night. Transporters […]

In the past, night journey for many was an unavoidable venture. For the intrepid business man or the trader in diverse merchandise or the energetic student, the only means of meeting up with their appointments was via the services of interstate drivers who ply the nation’s hostile roads in the thick of the night. Transporters made huge profits financially conveying passengers to many parts of the country under the cover of darkness. But in the recent past the trend appears to be dying a slow death due to many reasons.

One of these appears to be the concerted hue and cry embarked upon by the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC dissuading night travelling. Night travelling from records still remains the major source of road mishaps not only in Nigeria but other parts of the world. Sunday Motoring sought to find out why this is so and particularly get the reactions of the major players in the scheme: night drivers.

An officer at the ticketing office of the Edoline Transport Company Abuja told Sunday Motoring that many private transporters in Abuja and other parts of the country have fallen in line with the directive of the FRSC to stop night travelling. ‘The risks are numerous and increasing day by day.

Here we do not do night travels. The reasons are obvious. Many other companies are following suit. Even you need to ask yourself, would you prefer night travel to day travel when visibility is at least alright?’

An elderly driver with the Ifesinachi transport company, Anthony Ani (real name withheld) recounts the horrors he had faced in night travel for the many years he had been in the business. He agrees that night travel should be discouraged if not banned. ‘I have so many experiences. If you look at the body of the bus you will see bullet holes on the door leading to the driver’s side. That is to tell you how God saved me.

And that is not just once but several times. Is it when we were ambushed along the Enugu road at night by robbers or is it the one that shots were fired at us along the Ikere Ekiti road and one passenger was wounded? I can’t count the number of times we have been attacked during night journeys. In all cases God saw me through. What we drivers usually do when we sight them (robbers) is to join the passengers at the back. They do not waste time in killing the driver when they see them but when we join the passengers they will feel we have abandoned the vehicle so they will just dispossess the passengers and leave thereafter.

In the Ekiti case all the ladies in the bus were raped. Night journey is a dangerous venture and if I had a choice I will not embark on such trips but I have to cater for my family from the proceeds of my job. Every time I go on my trips they always pray for me maybe that is why God has been protecting me. The owner of the company when he was alive stopped night travelling because he knew the dangers but the present managers have reintroduced it,’ lamented Ani.

Another driver with Bonnyway transport company at the Utako park who simply identifies himself as Onyekachi says although he prefers night trips due to the serenity of the roads he knows the dangers attached to it. He says inter alia, ‘we all know that armed robbers are the greatest dangers of the night but the advantages are also there.

For one the road is free and then one would have rested adequately during the day so psychologically the driver is prepared for the trip. But it is a dangerous venture. Members of my family have come to accept the risks involved and only pray for my safe return every time I go.

So many times in the past we have had to abandon the bus with passengers in tow and enter the bushes every time we sighted robbers operating not far away from us. But we have no other options as drivers with private companies…’

A park official at the Utako park informed reporters that the park management does not condone night travels and goes all out to stop drivers from picking passengers for night trips. ‘You will not find any driver assembling passengers at night anywhere in the park. They only do this at the entrance and only for those going to Lagos and other cities in the South West. Only the bigger luxury buses are allowed to do that inside the park. Nobody likes night travels nowadays anyway.’

A driver in the park, Mutiu Aderopo agrees but adds that drivers are also getting much more aware of the dangers so they avoid the night trips. ‘Most drivers would readily tell you that they will not travel at night. No one needs to tell you their reasons. It is obvious,’ he says in a short reaction

But a few like… still prefer night travel despite the inherent dangers. A driver with Chisco transport company Ajayi (real name withheld) says he prefers the night journey than day because there is little or no pressure on the road.

He further says he has been driving in the night for more than 10 years and apparently he finds it agreeable especially when they have security officials attached to them. He added that the only challenge of night travelling is armed robbery attack.