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Renowned Nigerian actress and activist Kate Henshaw has voiced strong criticism of Nigeria's traffic laws and pedestrian policies, highlighting the contrast with practices in developed countries.
Speaking on News Central TV, the actress emphasised the importance of understanding orderliness and respect for pedestrians, which she believes are often lacking in Nigeria.
She said, "It is advisable to travel the world or to as many places as one can afford, to see how others function in their societies. To see how orderliness can indeed be a mindset that must be imbibed. One thing I have seen is the power of pedestrians in developed countries as opposed to here, where if you're not driving a car, you are considered persona non grata."
Henshaw stressed that Nigerian pedestrians are not given as much respect as their counterparts in other countries, referencing the Nigerian Highway Code.
"The Nigerian highway code states, 'You have no right of way at a pedestrian crossing or zebra crossing until you have stepped on it when you do, traffic should give way to you.' I boldly state that this is a complete fallacy. The pedestrian has no right whatsoever and is even dared to step on the faded zebra stripes if they are so emboldened. Abroad, pedestrians and even animals are respected," she explained.
The actress voiced her concern about traffic management and pedestrian safety in Nigeria, noting that orderliness seen in other countries is lacking in Nigeria's systems.
Recounting a personal experience, she narrated, "An incident occurred while I was being driven on the expressway in a province in Canada. The traffic lights suddenly stopped working for a bit, and there was no chaos, hassle or disruption to the movement of traffic. Everyone from each junction took turns waiting for two cars from each lane to drive. No traffic warden stepped in to organise the people. Why behave like zoo's should be our natural habitat?"
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