By Bola Babarinde, South Africa
Across Nigeria, our motor parks have become dangerous zones. Not because of poor roads or mechanical failures alone, but because of something far more dangerous and preventable, the complete lack of control, discipline, and enforcement.
Day after day, in motor parks across the country, drivers are seen openly consuming alcohol in various forms. From locally brewed ogogoro to so-called jedi jedi herbal mixtures, often laced with vodka or other potent spirits, to sachet drinks with high alcohol content, these substances are sold and consumed freely right where commercial transport services operate. These drivers, the very people responsible for the safety of human lives on our roads, are visibly intoxicated. Their bloodshot eyes, erratic speech, and reckless behavior are not hard to notice. Yet no one checks them. No official intervenes. No system calls them to order. The level of impunity is staggering.
The result of this lack of control is tragic. We are losing lives daily to accidents that are not accidents at all. They are predictable outcomes of a system that has failed. These deaths are the direct result of alcohol-fueled recklessness that we have allowed to fester in our transport system. What is worse is that this situation has become normalized. The sale of alcohol inside parks, the intoxication of drivers, and the silence of authorities have all blended into a culture of dangerous complacency.
For too long, Nigeria has tolerated a level of disorder that would be unacceptable elsewhere. The truth is, this is not just a matter of bad behavior; it is the result of a systemic collapse that has built up over decades. A collapse where rules are ignored, discipline is abandoned, and the value of human life is taken for granted. The parks are often run by transport unions that have little or no interest in enforcing safety standards, and park managers have become passive observers in the face of open lawlessness.
But this cannot continue. What we need now is urgent, nationwide enforcement of control measures in all motor parks. Alcohol must be banned from these spaces, not as a suggestion, but as a strict national policy. Law enforcement agencies must treat this as a public safety priority. Commercial drivers must be screened for alcohol and substance use before they begin their journeys. Any driver who fails these tests should be suspended from service and referred for rehabilitation. Transport unions must no longer operate unchecked. They should be held accountable for the safety conditions in the parks they oversee. If a park fails to meet safety standards, it should be shut down without delay.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and other relevant agencies must intensify their presence at departure points. Waiting until a driver is already on the highway to spot violations is too late. The damage is often already done. Prevention begins in the park, before the ignition is even turned on.
This issue reflects a larger national problem, our dangerous tolerance for disorder. But when it comes to road transport, this disorder is not just inconvenient. It is deadly. We cannot keep ignoring the signs while we bury victims of avoidable accidents. Control is not optional. Discipline is not a luxury. Enforcement is not an idea for tomorrow; it is the duty of today.
With the current administration in power, especially under the leadership of Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, there is hope that this tide can finally be turned. But this will not happen through words alone. It will require political will, coordinated action, and the courage to make tough but necessary reforms.
The time has come to bring sanity back to our motor parks. If we continue on this path of silence and inaction, the loss of life will only grow. We must act, not for policy’s sake, but for the sake of the millions of Nigerians who travel our roads in hope of safety and deserve far better than what they are getting now.
