Ensuring Safe Andaccessible Road Transportation for the Disabled in Lagos State
For most of us, life is difficult enough. People with physical disabilities are the ones who exhibit the strongest desire to succeed against all odds to challenge destiny every day of their lives! Many disabled Nigerians today rely on public transport such as bus train or taxi. They usually can’t afford a car and are really thankful for these options; but the only problem is that these means of transportation and the barriers on the road are not convenient for their physical defects. Barriers in the environment Include hawkers, bad traffic management and construction at the wrong places. It is entirely not their fault. Since Bus stops are located in the centre of the sidewalks, it forces including the disabled to walk on the road along with moving traffic to the extent that they share the same road space as a moving traffic and abandoned vehicles. All these are hazards and hindrances to safe and secure accessibility around the state for the disabled. Other hazards included guardrails at sidewalks with sharp edges and protruding manhole covers in travel paths causing accidental hazards to pedestrians with low vision. In order to bring these persons into the main stream of development and enable them to make a decent living and contribute to national life, a number of measures should be taken by the state government. The very first measure taken is to run an assistance scheme for the physically challenged. The scheme is to create a public awareness that the state government is showing concern for them. A disability right movement should also be established so as to ensure equal opportunities and rights of the disabled people and physical assistance to be rendered in form of mobility aids. Secondly, barriers on the road should be eliminated and reduced by providing guard rails at sidewalks and by keeping bus lanes clearly marked. Road sign should be clearly indicated so people with impaired vision can be seeing vividly at all times. Hawkers, abandoned