Pedestrian fatality on Africa’s roads and other trespass
deaths on rail and water services contribute to the high rate of deaths on the
fledgling transport infrastructure. In the case of road and rail, there is
usually poor segregation of motorised and non-motorised traffic. There are
issues of social and historical dimensions responsible for this lack of
segregation and they continue to pose a huge challenge to transport planners in
developing countries.
Part of the problem is also economic because street trading
and itinerant traders and artisans use the transport corridor as a place to
pursue their business. Additionally, planners have often been weak or connived
in the abuse of traffic management regulations.
In most areas, the transport corridor is prone to encroachment and
outright conversion to non-traffic uses. This has been true of all modes of
transport including rail and water which by nature ought to be protected from
such abuse.
Transport planners have sought to apply many balms while
seeking long-term, more enduring solutions. One such solution is based on
engagement with stakeholder groups such as market associations and community
groups including, where present, traditional rulers and chiefs. Often, such
measures serve only to cement vested interests and create a platform for key
groups to hold the government to ransom through periodic planned disruption.
Nevertheless, the needless recurrence of pedestrian deaths
has led to options in the design and management of the transport corridors to
achieve a degree of segregation.
One such common initiative is to build pedestrian bridges
over busy carriageways to prevent pedestrians crossing through very fast road
traffic. This has been used in Lagos, Nigeria where communities have been split
in two after a new highway is built. Compliance is arguable because many people
still choose to cross the road rather than use the footbridge.
Since the advent of LAMATAwww.lamata-ng.com, a more
robust approach has been applied to managing the traffic corridors in its jurisdiction. A recent look at the way pedestrians are
required to use BRT bus stops in Lagos suggests that LAMATA is encouraging
pedestrians to walk the walk of death. The following presentation illustrates
the above observation. Judge for yourself and let me know your views.
This series of pictures were taken at Maryland Bus-Stop on
the north-bound Lagos BRT route towards Ojota.
Pic 1. 4pm 25 August 2011, Maryland Bus Stop on Ikorodu Road
southbound – LASTMA officials on duty in the median for the afternoon peak
traffic
Pic 2. Across the road is Northbound BRT Maryland Bus Stop
with a bus about to stop and release passengers. Please note the Zebra Crossing
in the service lane of southbound Ikorodu Road
Pic 3. Northbound BRT bus has released passengers. They now
cross the BRT lane into the merge lane right into the main carriageway of
Northbound Ikorodu Road
Pic 4. A LASTMA official is monitoring traffic in service
lane. Passengers are in the median and looking frantically at traffic to make
the dash across the main southbound carriageway
Pic 5. Passengers have spotted a gap and make a dash across
the southbound carriageway. Watch the man in white. The commercial motorcyclist in green helmet waits
for a fare
Pic 6. The man in white has crossed but has not used the
Zebra Crossing…
Pic 7. Doesn’t seem as if any of the pedestrians is crossing
the Zebra…
Observations:
1.
It appears that the majority of the passengers
getting off the northbound BRT Bus Stop are going to the community across the
road. This also appears to be the case for the cars and buses as most are
actually turning right into the side road. If that is the case, a safer
crossing ought to be considered.
2.
The Zebra Crossing is not very useful. From my
observations, the crossing is too close to the right-turn junction ahead and
therefore it seems impractical to require cars not to drive and stay on it for pedestrians
to cross from the other side. The crossing is also dangerous as it encourages
pedestrians to cross a fast carriageway to get to the other side.
3.
Pedestrians are actually crossing into the path
of southbound BRT buses that are reputed for their speed and high frequency
Options:
1.
Build a footbridge - [money is scarce]
2.
Block the median with a physical barrier
3.
Direct pedestrians to use the crossing at
Maryland Mobil Petrol station to get to the other side. I am not an engineer and my views may be considered simplistic but at least the
last two options will indicate to users that what they are doing is unsafe. At the
moment, the traffic managers seem to be encouraging a daily dance with death.
