It’s always very easy and maybe fun filled to throw all the blame on the Nigerian government when it comes to the state of Nigerian roads even when we share part of the blame as well. Most roads are built to last for 25years or slightly more depending on the quality of materials used and the accompanying road attributes like adequate drainage and basic design. It’s a known fact that Nigerian roads are over-utilized, like here in Lagos, according to LAMATA, there are 222 vehicles to every kilometre which is in excess of the national average pinned at 11 vehicles to every kilometre of pliable road .
So with these figures and daunting reality, does it make any sense to put even the slightest blame on Nigerians for the poor state of Nigerian roads? I think we do share part of the blame and here is why:
Overload: The F.R.S.C (federal road safety corps) trucks and policemen on the road never seems to be enough to curb the menace of vehicle overload by motorists. The same Nigerians that complain about bad road conditions are ones that overload their vehicles without a thought of the damaging effects their vehicles will have on the road.
Road managers & Waste disposal vans: Some of the so-called ‘road managers’ responsible for sweeping roads and keeping these surfaces tidy channel dirt and sand to drainage ways; a typical example of the resultant effect of this is the Maryland bridge in Lagos which gets flooded owing to clogged drainage ways. As for the disposal vans that have to navigate tight streets and even major highways, these special trucks destroy road surfaces overtime and even re-distribute transported solid and liquid waste on these road surfaces.
Incessant dumping: however this time by individuals like you and me; the ripple effect of dumping gala wraps and pure water sachets indiscriminately is the subsequent blocking of drainage ways like gutters and canals and when this happens water has nowhere to go but to stay on the asphalt surface.
Avoidable accidents: which can come about as a result over-speeding, poor vehicle maintenance, defiance of road traffic laws and impatience.
Driving on road shoulders: nothing exposes asphalt base and layers more than depletion of road shoulders. Road shoulders are minimally paved to prevent quick degradation of the main asphalt edges and surfaces, not to accommodate vehicle traffic during tight road congestions. Simply put, for every car or truck that plies a road shoulder surface, the main road is endangered.
So when next you want to evade the slightest road congestion, have a quick re-think!
http://autobaseafrica.com/how-nigerians-are-responsible-for-road-damages/
So with these figures and daunting reality, does it make any sense to put even the slightest blame on Nigerians for the poor state of Nigerian roads? I think we do share part of the blame and here is why:
Overload: The F.R.S.C (federal road safety corps) trucks and policemen on the road never seems to be enough to curb the menace of vehicle overload by motorists. The same Nigerians that complain about bad road conditions are ones that overload their vehicles without a thought of the damaging effects their vehicles will have on the road.
Road managers & Waste disposal vans: Some of the so-called ‘road managers’ responsible for sweeping roads and keeping these surfaces tidy channel dirt and sand to drainage ways; a typical example of the resultant effect of this is the Maryland bridge in Lagos which gets flooded owing to clogged drainage ways. As for the disposal vans that have to navigate tight streets and even major highways, these special trucks destroy road surfaces overtime and even re-distribute transported solid and liquid waste on these road surfaces.
Incessant dumping: however this time by individuals like you and me; the ripple effect of dumping gala wraps and pure water sachets indiscriminately is the subsequent blocking of drainage ways like gutters and canals and when this happens water has nowhere to go but to stay on the asphalt surface.
Avoidable accidents: which can come about as a result over-speeding, poor vehicle maintenance, defiance of road traffic laws and impatience.
Driving on road shoulders: nothing exposes asphalt base and layers more than depletion of road shoulders. Road shoulders are minimally paved to prevent quick degradation of the main asphalt edges and surfaces, not to accommodate vehicle traffic during tight road congestions. Simply put, for every car or truck that plies a road shoulder surface, the main road is endangered.
So when next you want to evade the slightest road congestion, have a quick re-think!
http://autobaseafrica.com/how-nigerians-are-responsible-for-road-damages/