Beyond the aesthetic appeal that traffic lights add to any modern society, their precautionary importance for both motorists and pedestrians cannot be overemphasised or ignored in today’s fast-growing urban environments.
FIRST created as far back as 1868 in London, traffic lights help to regulate chaotic road situations, prevent avoidable accidents, reduce road disasters and ensure smoother vehicular and human movement, particularly in densely populated and highly congested areas.
IN this era of rapid digital and technological advancement, the adoption of this automated traffic control system clearly underscores the level of exposure, administrative awareness and developmental disposition of any government that is genuinely committed to positioning its territory in alignment with global modern standards and best practices.
NIGERIA, as a developing country, has, since the 1960s embraced this modern traffic control system as a progressive replacement for the old, stressful and less effective manual hand-directed traffic regulation previously carried out by traffic wardens.
LAGOS State, widely known as the busiest and most commercially active state in Nigeria owing to its huge population and economic activities, set the pace for the effective implementation of traffic control system as a deliberate step toward easing persistent traffic congestion and improving urban mobility.
OTHER states, including Ondo State, gradually began to follow suit by installing this modern traffic control system in their major cities, especially in their state capitals where vehicular movement is consistently heavy and complex.
ONDO State made its first significant attempt to install traffic lights during the tenure of former Governor Olusegun Mimiko. The initiative was accompanied by the beautification and structural redesign of several roundabouts at key intersections such as Fiwasaye, First Bank, Odole and other strategic locations. Unfortunately, many of these beautification projects later suffered serious neglect due to poor maintenance culture and administrative transitions that shifted priorities.
THE installation of new traffic lights in Akure, the state capital, by Governor Aiyedatiwa’s administration is a commendable development viewed as a positive step toward modernisation and traffic regulation. The advantages of a digitalised traffic control system in densely populated cities are enormous and should never be overlooked by any serious and forward-thinking government.
THE incumbent Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has demonstrated a notable level of commitment to infrastructural development by reintroducing modern traffic lights in the state capital within the short period of assuming office.
THE newly installed traffic lights at major intersections across Akure, particularly in the ever-busy areas such as NEPA, Shoprite and First Bank, Alagbaka, have, without exaggeration, has positioned the state in healthy competition with Lagos and other advanced cities in terms of urban beautification and organised traffic management.
COUPLED with the redesign and upgrading of these roundabouts, the emerging new look of Akure now gives residents and visitors a strong impression and experience of a modern and evolving urban environment. This remarkable stride by Governor Aiyedatiwa genuinely deserves commendation and public applause.
MEANWHILE, there is an urgent need for sustained public sensitisation on strict adherence to the traffic control system. While some motorists deliberately violate traffic signals out of impatience or indiscipline, others are still confused about how the system operates, especially at complex intersections like Shoprite Area where multiple lanes converge and diverge.
AS residents who are only recently being fully exposed to this system, there is still need for stationed traffic officers or police posts at these locations to properly guide, educate and monitor road users during this adjustment period.
FURTHERMORE, for individuals who resist modernisation and deliberately refuse to adapt to the new traffic culture, THE HOPE calls for introduction of enforceable punitive measures to track and penalise violators, just as is effectively practised in Lagos State.
TRAFFIC offenders in Lagos hardly go scot-free due to advanced tracking systems that automatically capture motorists’ identities and maintain digital records of violations, leading to accumulated fines until such offenders are eventually apprehended and compelled to comply with the law.
THE HOPE urges the current administration in the state to, therefore, establish a clear template for this modern traffic control system by instituting a strong maintenance and sustainability plan that will ensure the project outlives the present government and remains functional for many years.
ONE important sustainability strategy is to ensure that the traffic control system is solar-powered, technologically upgraded, regularly maintained and adequately secured against vandalism and environmental damage. We appeal to the state government to look into this. Implementing these measures will save the government from repeatedly spending public funds on the same projects and will allow successive administrations to focus on executing entirely new developmental projects rather than reconstructing same projects.
FINALLY, THE HOPE appeals to the current administration in the State to replicate similar infrastructural development in other major cities across the state like Ore, Owo, Ikare, Ondo and Okitipupa to further help prevent accidents.
WE equally urge the Ondo State Government to back the initiative with widespread education and sensitisation campaigns through relevant agencies like the Ministries of Transportation, Information and Works, Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO) and Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), for proper use and improving public understanding of traffic regulations.