Public transportation is a vital component of the transportation sector as it provides transportation to the majority of the population. In this article we’ll be discussing public transportation in Nigeria and why it is so important.
Public Transportation in Nigeria roughly entails all means of transportation that is not privately owned. This means that transportation services available to the general public can be deemed as public transportation. This includes BRT’s, yellow and red buses, trains, taxis, and car ordering platforms. Although the former of that list makes up the backbone of the Nigerian public transportation system, the importance of all forms of public transportation can not be undermined. Let’s move on to why public transportation is so important.
- Economic Benefits – Some forms of public transportation are owned by the government or partially owned by the government and they help to generate income for the government which in turn helps the economy of the country.
- It helps to Curb Traffic – Upon reading this, you might scoff especially if you live in the densely populated areas of Nigeria. However, public transportation does help to curb traffic. A standard yellow bus transports 14 passengers to their destination. Now, imagine if all 14 people had their own personal vehicles on the road. Now, imagine if every single person on each yellow bus, red bus, and BRT bus had their own vehicle on the road, the situation is simply unimaginable because that would easily be hundreds of thousands of vehicles added to the hundreds of thousands of vehicles already on the road. The traffic will be far worse than it is currently. These modes of public transportation are vital to reducing traffic and while better roads and more responsible driving would help, public and shared transportation holds the key to curbing traffic dramatically.
- Accessible – Public transportation offers accessible and affordable options to people who would not be able to afford otherwise. Not everyone can purchase a car because they can be quite expensive. Therefore, public transportation is an accessible and affordable mode of transportation.
- Improves Mobility – Public transportation helps to improve mobility in both senses of the word. This means that public transportation helps people have some power over their movement which is often reserved for private vehicles and it also helps people to move around much more. It is a great way to get exercise, i.e walking to the bus station, etc. This helps to improve the general health of the nation.
- The Effects of Climate Change – Climate change and transportation are two spheres that affect each other. With the rise of climate change, more public transportation vehicles will get damaged far more quickly because of damage of elongated weather changes however, public transportation can also help to reduce the effects of climate change. 25% of greenhouse gas emissions are a result of transportation. If we have fewer cars on the roads, this number will reduce. Of course, we must acknowledge that this change will not happen overnight and there are issues with the public transportation system in Nigeria that make it unappealing for some, however, its importance must be stated.
- Less Fuel Costs – A major issue with transportation in Nigeria is the cost of fuel. Public transport is an effective way to reduce the amount of money spent on fuel. This can be done by alternating between using your private vehicle on some days and opting for public transportation options on others.