EARTH DAY AND THE MAD RUSH

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EARTH DAY AND THE MAD RUSH
by Anthony Emecheta \| 12-04-2015 06:59 0
I wasn't smiling when I took the pix for this report on my Earth Day activity. The reason was simple: riding with a public transport is almost always a nightmare in my part of the city because the buses are often crammed and stuffy. There is also the smell of people who forgot to have their bath, the aroma of foodstuffs and God-knows-what being conveyed to the market and finally fragrances of deodorants and antiperspirants all mixed into one confused scent. There is also the never ending trivial or sometimes serious argument that competes with the revving engine in pitch and decibel. Fortunately, we had elections so the city (Makurdi) was partially deserted (both cars and humans) especially around the iconic food basket roundabout as many people travelled to their wards to be able to participate in the electoral process. However, riding this bus, I saw for the first time what I would have felt like the gush of wind without giving a thought to if I was in my private car. I noticed that most of the private cars had only the driver inside. This didn't stop the cars from giving out fumes that equaled that of the buses that had a lot of passengers in them. I discovered that private cars accounted for the majority of hold-ups on the way likewise carbon emissions because (mathematically) they were more in number. It dawned on me that if we could cut down the number of private cars we drove daily and join a public bus, then we would also be cutting down the amount of carbon emission into the atmosphere and to a large extent reducing the traffic jam on our roads. It may be hard to convince yourself to join the public buses but there is more to gain than lose think of it as an opportunity to make new friends, a chance to diffuse ideas and most importantly, if any of the above arguments don't satisfy you, just do it for mother earth. I took the action to mark Earth Day but I will make it regular henceforth.

Dormant user Anthony Emecheta

11 Comments

Hema Sapkota says :
Greeting Anthony
I hope you are doing well!
Thank you so much for this report!
Keep writing
Green cheers
Regards
Hema
Posted 22-03-2020 11:21

Arushi Madan says :
@Anthony -Thanks for sharing your experience and thought of using public transport. If all the residents start using public transport or if at least 2 days in a week , leave their cars and use public transport , it would collectively reduce carbon footprint to a great extent.
I hope the transport authorities take it on priority to improve the condition of public transport in your place.
Posted 14-05-2015 18:36

says :
I too support using public transport and I too do it. Though personal car and scooty is more comfortable but we choose to be more eco-friendly. Sometimes, we even meet our old friends in bus and it brings back old memories and a real joy. Thanks Anthony for your positive thoughts to use public transport :)
Posted 17-04-2015 12:59

says :
i can completely relate to your issues with public transportation. I use the bus everyday to uni and back home. The situation in my country used to be as deplorable as you describe but with a few reforms, the situation is much better and a bus ride is no longer that big a hustle. I'm sure with time and the right amount of positive pressure, especially with your just concluded elections, your situation can be made better. :-)

In the meantime, I suggest you try carpooling with a number of friends.
Thank you for standing for Mother Earth!!!! :-D
Posted 14-04-2015 22:34

Anthony Emecheta says :
Yeah... That's true Christy. If the public transport system is upgraded to that level, Nigerians would love and patronise it more am sure. I know my people, they love luxury :)
Posted 14-04-2015 20:12

says :
Thank you Anthony, I really enjoyed reading it. It seems that there is a need for improving the public transport system in Nigeria. If they increase the number of buses and put air conditioning system, many people can happily enjoy the bus like we did in Korea. We gradually went on improving the public transport system and now it took the number 1 place in the world :-)

Posted 14-04-2015 14:20

Anthony Emecheta says :
Thanks Burton. Bindu I'll draw inspiration from you to keep up the good work.
Posted 14-04-2015 04:17

says :
Dear Anthony, I use public bus every day for my travel to university and wherever I go. I look forward that you use public bus now onward.
I am so happy you took a ride to mark Earth Day :)

Posted 13-04-2015 21:01