BRT :The new face of TRANSPORTATION in LAGOS.

March 17th, 2008 ushered in a revolutionary change in the face of transportation within the Lagos Metropolis with the launching of the BUS RAPID TRANSIT (BRT) system in Lagos. Before now transportation within Lagos has always been ‘chaotic, stressful, and depressing ‘ according to the words of Mrs. Taiwo, a nursing mother who regularly transits from Mile 2 to CMS and back , to and from work every single working day

Indeed, transiting within Lagos required more time than is available in the hands of the average Lagos worker. Terrible traffic jams, extremely long queues of irrationally behaving (Danfo)Minibus drivers ,their buses and their conductors make the life of a commuter extremely unbearable. The BRT system in Lagos is therefore more than a welcome development for the masses who as at today are already using the service maximally.

But the BRT system did not only come with Buses. BRT also brought along new bus stops ,which are called Bus Shelters, a new pool of drivers called Bus Pilots and conductors called Bus Assistants. More and more people seem to be using the system more than was anticipated and such massive patronage has sort of brought to the fore the limitations of the system and the need to address certain anomalies
A lot of commuters on the BRT route complain of the ill-mannered behavior
of the Bus Assistants, and the fact that bus stops are not announced for passengers, especially those who may have no idea of where they are , or for passengers who might have only come to Lagos recently. My suggestions are that the Bus Assistants should be sent on crash customer relations courses , for them to understand the importance of being polite , and moreover , how to relate with passengers. This is of absolute importance , or before long, they too will go the way of the old DANFO Conductors and become outright abrasive and this could trigger a serious loss of patronage.

Furthermore, it would make things a lot easier for the commuters if the Bus Assistants were equipped with microphones to call out the various Bus Shelters along the route . Commuters who are not familiar with a particular route will in this way be more comfortable traveling on the BRT buses.

With these suggestions implemented , BRT would indeed have truly become the new face of Transportation in Lagos State.


Eagles Eyes
www.gistplatform.blogspot.com

REALITY OR MIRAGE:

GETTING BACK TO THE QUEUE CULTURE ?

Driving through Ikorodu Road, leisurely , hurriedly or even at a pace you determine you cannot but be stunned by the orderly manner in which Lagosians queue up to get a seat on the much applauded BRT buses.

Looking back to a point in time not so long ago, when people had to struggle and physically fight to get a seat or at the very least a standing space in the old, decrepit looking , ever moving 911 buses, popularly called Molue, or the tin-box Combi Buses called Danfos , this was not a matter of profession as doctors, journalists, lawyers, bankers and all and sundry who had to move from one point to another , dropped their egos and joined in the fight for the fittest to get on board, the result being that at the end of the day you could only hope of getting to your destination half as clean and crisp as you left your home. Forming a queue in that era was simply a taboo . A typical incident occurred at Oshodi when a newcomer into town saw a mass of people suddenly break into a run. Thinking it was a riot, the newcomer also took to his heels for dear life only to find out minutes later that it was just a rush to enter a rickety old contraption called Molue.

Today it seems the queue culture is back as we see the smiling faces of commuters calmly waiting for their buses with no fear of encountering grubby conductors ,and their rickety buses . Truly a new dawn seems to have come -- a new air of confidence seems to have infected the average commuter. Who would have ever believed that the average Lagosian would be as disciplined as to patiently wait in line for his turn to board a bus? Hmmm positive change they say, comes with a lot of responsibilities. Could this be the propelling force behind the rebirth of the queue culture in Lagos? For how long can this rebirth of the queue culture survive the tense and chaotic environment that the Lagos City depicts?

Eagles Eyes
www.gistplatform.blogspot.com