Since the death of a passenger, Oluwabamise Ayanwole, many
citizens of Lagos State have been worried about how safe it is to travel on the
Bus Rapid Transit vehicles in the state.
Oluwabamise, who closed from
work around 7pm on February 26, was on her way to visit her brother, Pelumi,
when she boarded a BRT vehicle around Chevron Bus-stop, in the Lekki area of
the state.
Her corpse was later found dumped by the roadside, according
to the police who revealed that the driver of the vehicle, Omininikoron Nice,
had been arrested.
This led to an outrage and protest on social media and in the streets of Lagos.
To avoid finding yourself in a similar situation as
Oluwabamise, here are some tips to keep you safe while travelling on BRT
vehicles:
1. Ask if the vehicle has a CCTV camera as most of them
don’t have, especially the locally built ones. If the vehicle doesn’t have one,
it is advisable to wait for the one that has.
2. If the vehicle doesn’t have a CCTV camera, try to know
the vehicle’s licence number, if possible take a picture of it and send it to a
relative or friend, alerting them of your journey.
3. Ensure that you are not the only passenger in the
vehicle. Make sure that the passengers are about five at least and don’t they
look suspicious.
4. In a situation where the passengers in the vehicle are
not much, ensure you sit close to the exit or by the window to make yourself
visible to other road users.
5. If ever you feel unsafe, make use of the emergency
buttons in the vehicle which connects it to the control room. This alerts the
officials in the control room to monitor the vehicle’s activities.
6. BRT vehicles do have emergency numbers. Put a call
through to one of them if you ever feel unsafe.
7. If travelling at night, ensure that the BRT vehicle has
inner lights. This allows other road users to see what’s going on inside the
bus.
8. Ensure you alight at your bus stop and not along the
road. Object if the driver suggests dropping you by the roadside as this may be
a ploy to expose you to ritualists or armed robbers lurking around the corner.
9. Ask questions or raise the alarm if the driver decides to
ply a different route other than its designated route.
10. If you had informed your relatives of your journey,
ensure you let them know when you alighted safely. This will not only put their
minds at rest but will also prevent a situation where the driver of the BRT
vehicle will be wrongly accused.
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