Sunday, September 8, 2019

Trading on Roads: A dangerous business



It has now become a trend in third world countries, especially in Nigeria, to trade on road and streets, such that traders will leave their stalls, and bring out their wares to display and sell on the road or hawk them on the road, blocking the roads and pedestrian way. Yes, these traders may make these items easily accessible for purchase, one can just reach out to them easily to purchase an item and continue with his/her journey, instead of going into shops or markets, which often is stressful and time consuming, or they save one the hassle of looking for where to park your car, or the stress in alighting from your vehicle to shop. Like there is always a two side to a coin, one cannot sideline the harmful effects and treat these traders pose to themselves and other individuals because of their activities. You will find such traders on roads cutting through markets, hawkers on high ways selling their items, and on pedestrian ways. This is a dangerous business, as they share and compete the road with vehicles, motorcycles and pedestrians. These activities are very risky to indulge, as they are expose both the themselves and the prospective buyers to various life treating incidents, ranging from auto incident, human incidents or theft, and even natural incident. But these traders are encouraged daily, by the people who patronize them, the society that accepts them, and the authorities who condone them. Funny enough these traders sometimes pay some token to the area boys to allow them to operate daily, but never see anything wrong with their activities or manage the situation, they are just concerned of the proceeds they must collect. 

Many a times, there has been cases of deaths as result of their activities, either a vehicle that missed it way will come crashing into the them, or traffic build-up caused by their activities, they are often exposed to theft due to the rowdy situation, exposed to the scouring sun, or the heavy down pour of the rain, or sometimes it may be the case of someone trying to avoid crashing to their wares, and then ends up being hit by an oncoming vehicle or motorcycle, or even incidents among traders trying to fight for spots, or pedestrians clashing into themselves just to avoid their trouble. They also expose themselves and their prospective buyers to theft from hoodlums, during such business transaction on the road, also in an uncomfortable position.

Each time I come across these traders, I ask myself, “is this the only way they must survive and get their daily bread? Are they aware of the risk they are exposed to themselves and others? Or are they just arrogant of these risks involved?” Also, if buyers like you and I will take a stand and stop patronizing these traders blocking the roads, or pedestrian way, but instead buy from those sitting in their stalls in the market, and if authorities will wake up to their responsibilities of setting the people right and helping them access an affordable shops or kiosks,…with time maybe they will have no choice but to resort to getting off the roads and move into stalls, to prevent these looming dangers…or what do you think?

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