THE beautiful city of Benin with several developments here and there is indeed a sight to behold. With several sight attractions in the city, it is a place to be.
One captivating thing about the city is the colour of the buses and taxi cabs. With the yellow and red paintings, it’s like an identification for distinguishing buses and taxi cabs in Edo State, from that in other states. Every city has intra-city buses with special paintings. In Lagos for example, it is yellow and black, in Delta State, it is blue and white. Other cities such as Enugu, Ilorin, and so many others have their special colours. These intra-city buses are present in virtually every area in Edo State – at Ring Road, Sakponba Road, Sapele Road, Asoro, Ugbiyoko, Evbuotubu, Ekehuan Road, Ikpoba Hill, Airport Road, Ugbowo, and so many other places we find them present there.
However, one thing that is worthy to note is the way in which passengers of these public vehicles have turned these buses and their drivers into ‘taxi-cab drop’. This has been achieved through passengers telling bus drivers to stop anywhere they want to, using the word ‘drop’. Although, some passengers have laid the complaint that in some places, there are no designated bus stops where one can actually get down, however, even in places where there are designated bus stops, passengers still stop drivers to get down at any place they want to, even if that place is not a bus stop.
In cities like Lagos, it does not happen because there are indicated bus stops with green pointers at the beginning for every street, which drivers use in stopping, for a passenger(s) to alight from the bus. A bus driver cannot stop anywhere, except it is a bus stop, and any passenger that tells a bus driver to stop when it is not a designated bus stop, that passenger’s ranting will be rebuffed by the bus driver and conductor. However, the reverse appears to be the case in Benin City as passengers alight in every nook and cranny of the city. I boarded a bus one day from Ring Road to Ugbowo, and as we were on the move, a passenger told the bus driver to stop and he then got down from the bus, however, few seconds later, another passenger stopped the bus driver, and he also alighted. Most appalling was the fact that there was really no difference in meters from where the other passenger stopped and where the last passenger alighted. So, why then didn’t he stop where the previous passenger did? Well, this question remains answerable to the passenger himself.
The word ‘drop’ recounted by passengers in Benin City indicates that they want to alight from a bus. However, it is only a taxi cab (especially if only you boards the cab) that stops you at whatever place you desire. However, in Benin City, public bus passengers tell bus drivers to stop at any place, regardless of whether that place is a bus stop or not. Some even go to the extent of shouting at these bus drivers when they refuse to stop them where they request to be dropped at, whether it is a designated bus stop or not.
In addition, bus drivers and specifically passengers have gotten so used to this ‘drop’ syndrome that they feel it’s the appropriate thing to do. It has become a part of passengers that some who live along the road tell the bus drivers to stop them right in front of their houses, thereby turning bus into private-hired taxi cabs that drops one in front of his/her house.
Plying the road everyday and observing the word ‘drop’ used by passenger in every part of the city, makes me wonder the reasons they do this. Although some have given different reasons for telling bus drivers to stop at any place, and at any time, however, that does not in any way justify the fact that they have turned buses into “drops”, Intra-city buses are meant to alight at designated bus stops, and not in any corner the passengers tell the bus drivers to.
Benin City, still experiencing massive developments, especially on the aspect of infrastructure, should as well develop its citizens, especially public bus users’, through proper orientation on the best and suitable places to alight from a public vehicle.
Furthermore, passengers should not develop an attitude of laziness just because they are paying for the transportation cost. If for example, a passenger stops at a particular place, and where you are to alight is a few seconds away, nothing stops you from alighting where that passenger alighted, because it not only eliminate stress, and saves the time of the bus driver and other passengers, but yours as well, as it saves the time of you waiting for the other passenger to alight, and then for the bus driver to move and stop few seconds later for you to come down.
A friend of mine shared with me a similar experience of the ‘drop’ syndrome. He boarded a  public vehicle one  day, going to New Benin, a woman then dropped at a particular place, however, few seconds later, a man said ‘drop’, and all the passengers turned, looking at him angrily. The amusing aspect of the experience was the fact that my friend said he felt like slapping him, and asking him if he was pregnant that he cannot trek such a very short distance. Therefore, when passengers ‘drop’ every minute, it causes discomfort to other passengers in the public bus.
There are however several reasons why public bus passengers in Benin City have overtime emulated the ‘drop-at-every-minute’ syndrome.
Absence of Designated Bus Stops:
In Lagos, for example, where we have designated bus stops boldly written in green pointed panels, passengers can easily alight from buses at these bus stops. However, in Benin City, only few places have these designated bus stops, and they are hardly written boldly like what is obtainable in Lagos State. Hence passengers tend to stop any and everywhere, thereby giving rise to the ‘drop-at-every-minute’ syndrome.
Forgetfulness on the part of the passengers: There are times when a passenger may for get that he/she is to alight a particular place, and then remembers later. The next thing he/she says is ‘drop,’ which is a way of telling the bus driver he/she wants to stop, even if someone just got down few minutes ago, that passenger has succeeded in stopping the driver again.
Falling asleep in a public bus: A times, a passenger may fall deep asleep in a public vehicle, and in that process, the bus driver may drive pass his/her bus stop unknowing to the person, when he/she finally wakes up knowing that the bus driver has gone past his/her bus stop, he/she then tells the driver to ‘stop’ even if it’s not a bus stop.
Lack of concentration: although Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “concentration is the secret of strength,” it is however so unfortunate that atimes, people lose concentration, and this also occurs in public buses in which a passenger may lose concentration, or may be lost in thought, and in the process, the bus driver may drive pass his bus stop without him knowing. When he fully realizes that the driver has driven pass his bus stop, he then tells him to stop for him to alight.
These reasons can be attributed to why public vehicle passengers use the ‘drop’ syndrome every minute, and sometimes, every second.
Despite the several reasons passengers give for doing this, there are still effects of doing this, not only to the drivers, but to the passengers as well.
Unplanned Delay: The issue of stopping at every place leads to delay that is not planned for. Everyday people go to work, children go to school, people tail from one place to another using a public vehicle. When passengers drop at virtually every place, it causes delay to the drivers, and specifically to other passengers who are trying to get to their various destinations on time.
Undue Stress: Stress is one phenomenon virtually everyone tries to avoid. However, you cause stress to a driver when you use the word ‘drop’ every minute. Driving itself is stress, and telling a bus driver to stop at any place will certainly lead to a heightened stress on his part.
In spite of the effects of the ‘drop-at-every-place’ syndrome, there are suggested solutions to end this menace.
Creation of identifiable bus stops: The government, as well as citizens in the state, should come together and make signs and symbols indicating a particular bus stop, like what we have in Lagos, so that passengers can easily tell a bus driver the bus stop they are to alight, thereby, eliminating the unnecessary ‘drop’ syndrome.
Passengers’ orientation: It is very important that users of public vehicles are properly and adequately oriented on when to alight from a bus. This can be achieved by organizing various seminars, symposia’s, and the likes, as a means of orienting and re-orienting them on when and how to alight from a public vehicle.
Benin City is gradually developing into a megacity, however, to achieve this, certain attitudes need to be corrected, and one of which is the way in which passengers of public buses alight at any place they choose to, regardless of whether it is a designated bus stop or not.
However, with these suggested recommendations, this issue will indeed become a thing of the past.