How Lagosians can survive without Okada or Keke transport
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In recent times, one of the things I believe that the Lagos state government is doing right is their recent partial ban on Okada and Keke transportation. Loads refers to commercial motorcycles while Keke refers to the three-wheeled vehicles. They have been a means of public transportation since the late 90s. They had been a lot of problems the society has faced as a result of their services which without had some benefits but which were far outweighed by their demerits. They drive against traffic, drive at unregulated speeds, cause a lot of accidents and make driving and walking harder for car owners and pedestrians. While some Lagosians have blamed the government for not providing an alternative before introducing the ban on certain places, others like me have praised the govt for doing a nice job. Lagos state is now more beautiful and peaceful without the menace of liars and make maple vehicles. It's like the roads have become much bigger and spacious for both car owners and pedestrians.While some people have been wondering how they can survive without okada and keke napep services, others are already getting used to it.I recently saw a friend of mine walking on the road after this ban and while he felt the government made a mistake, I told him it was actually more beneficial to him that he is walking and that one benefit he is getting from their ban is that he is too g to live longer. It s actually true, the more you avoid public transport and take a walk with your two feet, the the longer you are likely to live. Okada and Keke transport has made many Parisians too lazy that they avoid walking a eh would rather patronize their service even for a distance that can be covered by walking in just a few minutes. Imagine someone who would take an loads rather than taking a 5 minutes walk down the street.Start walking:
So, one way people can survive without those recently banned problematic transport were is by walking. Walking is good for your heart and will improve your life span. A lot of Lagosians are ones and that is why the average lifespan in Lagos is much lower than that in the villages. You'd see people dying at 60hrs in Lagos while people in the village live as long as 90 years. The difference is that they exercise more by walking. So get ready to shed that excess fat and boost your immune system. You may need to get walking shoes different from working shoes if you intend to make walking part of your new way to adapt to the okada-less Lagos. Don't walk too much though especially if you are suffering from arthritis or similar disease that may make walking harder for you.Leave early:
A second way to survive in an okada-less and keke-less Lagos is by leaving earlier than before. By now, you would know that the loads and meme made as have gone and so you are not going to be able to eat traffic and/or time as before. So don't wait till the last hour before leaving for home, school, work or other appointment. Leave earlier keeping in mind that you are taking a bus, car, train or ship. The first few days will be for your learning so that you'd later decide on the best time for leaving to and from your destination.Drive your own car:
A third way you can adapt to the okada and keke free Lagos is by driving your own car. If you don't have one yet, you should buy one and if you don't have money, you should start saving for it. Having your own car would actually make your life better in the future. A lot of people had even parked their private care at home because of the menace cause by loads and meme madras in the past because they made driving g harder for them. Now I'm seeing some of these people putting back their cars in the road.
So drive your own car but if you can't afford this yet, there are still other options.Get a bicycle:
You can get one for yourself or your kids. It is easier than walking long distances and roads are safer now than before the okada and keke era. I've been seeing a lot of kids now driving their bicycles to scbool. Bicycles are safer than loads and cheaper to maintain since they been fuel or have expensive replacement parts. Riding them is also a good form of exercise and there is no age limit for riding one in Lagos as far as I know. You don't even need a driving license for it.Use a taxi
Taxis or cabs have always been available and while they may be the most expensive form of land transport in Lagos, they are also the most convenient. They can take you anywhere you want to go. You can negotiate care with them and a!so reduce your costs by sharing the fare among your friends who could join in. You may also patronize use services like Uber, oCar or Taxify as their fares can be more reasonable.Ride with friends and colleagues:
You could also link up with your friends who go out with their cars and this will help you save time and energy you may spend waiting for buses which are mostly scarce during this period. The friend or colleague may want you to contribute to fueling the car and you should my hesitate to do that.Take the buses:
Bus transportation is still very much available and you can take them to your destination. The major problem you may face is the waiting time and loading time. They may not be readily available and when they do come, they may spend some more time loading passengers until they are full before moving. If you are early, you'll get to your destination earlier so avoid going to the bus stops when there would be a lot of people such as during peak periods as that can use up more of your time.
Posted by Felix Okoli on Monday February 3, 2020 at 22:30:50:
So, one way people can survive without those recently banned problematic transport were is by walking. Walking is good for your heart and will improve your life span. A lot of Lagosians are ones and that is why the average lifespan in Lagos is much lower than that in the villages. You'd see people dying at 60hrs in Lagos while people in the village live as long as 90 years. The difference is that they exercise more by walking. So get ready to shed that excess fat and boost your immune system. You may need to get walking shoes different from working shoes if you intend to make walking part of your new way to adapt to the okada-less Lagos. Don't walk too much though especially if you are suffering from arthritis or similar disease that may make walking harder for you.Leave early:
A second way to survive in an okada-less and keke-less Lagos is by leaving earlier than before. By now, you would know that the loads and meme made as have gone and so you are not going to be able to eat traffic and/or time as before. So don't wait till the last hour before leaving for home, school, work or other appointment. Leave earlier keeping in mind that you are taking a bus, car, train or ship. The first few days will be for your learning so that you'd later decide on the best time for leaving to and from your destination.Drive your own car:
A third way you can adapt to the okada and keke free Lagos is by driving your own car. If you don't have one yet, you should buy one and if you don't have money, you should start saving for it. Having your own car would actually make your life better in the future. A lot of people had even parked their private care at home because of the menace cause by loads and meme madras in the past because they made driving g harder for them. Now I'm seeing some of these people putting back their cars in the road.
So drive your own car but if you can't afford this yet, there are still other options.Get a bicycle:
You can get one for yourself or your kids. It is easier than walking long distances and roads are safer now than before the okada and keke era. I've been seeing a lot of kids now driving their bicycles to scbool. Bicycles are safer than loads and cheaper to maintain since they been fuel or have expensive replacement parts. Riding them is also a good form of exercise and there is no age limit for riding one in Lagos as far as I know. You don't even need a driving license for it.Use a taxi
Taxis or cabs have always been available and while they may be the most expensive form of land transport in Lagos, they are also the most convenient. They can take you anywhere you want to go. You can negotiate care with them and a!so reduce your costs by sharing the fare among your friends who could join in. You may also patronize use services like Uber, oCar or Taxify as their fares can be more reasonable.Ride with friends and colleagues:
You could also link up with your friends who go out with their cars and this will help you save time and energy you may spend waiting for buses which are mostly scarce during this period. The friend or colleague may want you to contribute to fueling the car and you should my hesitate to do that.Take the buses:
Bus transportation is still very much available and you can take them to your destination. The major problem you may face is the waiting time and loading time. They may not be readily available and when they do come, they may spend some more time loading passengers until they are full before moving. If you are early, you'll get to your destination earlier so avoid going to the bus stops when there would be a lot of people such as during peak periods as that can use up more of your time.
Posted by Felix Okoli on Monday February 3, 2020 at 22:30:50: