MORE CAUTION ON STREETS AS KIDS RESUME SCHOOL By Onyebuchi Odianjo

MORE CAUTION ON STREETS AS KIDS RESUME SCHOOL

Recently, a Danfo driver had an incident with a student on his way to school. The holidays are over, and kids have resumed school. It is imperatives for parents and schools to teach their kids proper road cautions because of the dangers of crossing the streets.   

   

Some kids have their parents drive them to school, others by their drivers, while some walk to school. It was 7:45 am- rush hour. Adults hurried to work, students running to school and traders were setting up their stores for the new day. Unfortunately, in Lagos, big trailers and trucks had caused traffic on the Ikorodu Ojuelebga express. Hence, Danfo buses tend to take shortcuts to avoid the traffic. 

This very day, the Danfo bus had to take a shortcut which had lots of schools on the streets to avoid traffic. We were almost at our bus stop when we heard a big bang! ‘Our bus had hit someone, no something.’ Because I was pressing my phone I was not sure of what just happened. However, a lady kept screaming on our bus. She had been hurt.

I looked out through the window, and our bus had hit off the door of a car parked beside the street. When we all in the Danfo bus got down, we realised it was a little boy that tried to open the door; he was a six-year-old boy dressed in his uniform. He was going to school. Thankfully, he wasn’t hurt, but the car was damaged. However, the lady in the bus was still screaming in the bus in pain.

Sadly, she had hurt her legs. I’m not entirely sure how that happened, but she was injured. It probably happened when the driver forcefully stopped the Danfo bus.

In summary, who is to blame? Was it the little boy who had opened the door without looking out for safety? Or the little boy’s parent who probably didn’t set the car on ‘child-lock’ nor thought him how to be careful while opening a car. Or maybe we can blame the Danfo driver whose speed was too high and hit the open door? Hmmm,  perhaps not.   

And as usual, I made my observations and learnt a few lessons.

·        Parents need to be more conscious of their kids sitting position, especially if they are not sure of the ‘child lock’ mode.

·        It is imperative for the government and schools to make the road sides safe for kids.

·        If you are a resident in Lagos, be careful of your sitting position when you use the commercial Danfo bus.