Changing to the Right

BY “AWAKE!” CORRESPONDENT IN NIGERIA

AT SIX o’clock Sunday morning all traffic on Nigerian roads moved from the left side to the right. Crowds of people were already gathering by the roadsides at strategic intersections in the nation’s capital city of Lagos to watch the spectacle.

The time had been carefully selected well in advance. The day of the change was Sunday and the next day was a public holiday, providing two days of reduced traffic flow. The speed limit within all towns was also restricted to twenty miles per hour, and a large corps of the traffic control wardens and policemen was organized to direct the traffic. The authorities who planned the changeover knew that this was necessary so as to ensure greater control as the road users tried to adjust their reflexes that had been trained in the habit of driving on the left.

All traffic had come to a standstill on the left side of the road at midnight to provide a “cooling off” period. As the hour for the change approached, there was a murmur of excitement among the crowds. At 6:00 a.m. the waiting vehicles slowly crept from their parking positions and followed each other, nose to tail, out from the left, across the white median line of the road to the right-hand side. The crowds erupted into cheers. The line of traffic gradually gathered speed until there was a steady flow at twenty miles per hour, but it was not long before impatient drivers began overtaking others, totally disregarding the precautionary speed limit.

The enthusiastic bystanders continued to watch with interest, responding spontaneously with shouts of warning or laughter or good-humored bantering when a motorist would momentarily forget and begin to veer toward the left side of the road.

Since the traffic was not heavy during the first two days of the changeover, everything was comparatively smooth. However, on Tuesday, in Lagos city, traffic was brought to a standstill. The Federal Commissioner for Works himself, who spearheaded the work of changing to the right, normally drove to his office in twenty minutes, but this day he was on the road for more than two hours. Traffic was so hopelessly entangled that some workers who were expected to start work by 8:30 a.m. reached their offices at noon.

What went wrong? Was the nation fully prepared for the changeover? Above all, why did this nation of 60 million people decide to change to the right?

Setting Standards of Traffic Control

History shows that the question of whether to drive on the left or the right was often influenced by the local customs. The British custom of driving on the left was extended to the lands that belonged to England’s colonial empire, just as other colonial powers that drove on the right side of the road imposed this arrangement on the lands that came under their influence.

This explains why, in Africa, some nations drive on the left while others drive on the right. Even when these countries gained independence, the new laws were generally based upon the principles of the colonial mother countries.

Nigeria Made the Move

In October 1961, there was a meeting of the West African Transport Conference in Monrovia and an agreement was made that traffic control among West African countries be standardized. Also, a resolution made by the Economic Commission for Africa in 1964 recommended the change from left to right for all African countries.

In keeping with this, traffic in Nigeria moved from left to right on April 2, 1972. In doing this, it was believed that economic ties with other West African nations would be strengthened. For example, among Nigeria’s neighboring countries traffic is on the right. A person coming to Nigeria from these countries will not need to learn a new set of traffic laws before he can drive with ease in Nigeria.

To further facilitate trade among African countries, preparation is now being made to construct a Trans-African highway from Nigeria to Kenya, covering approximately 4,400 miles. A proposition has also been made to construct a Trans-West African highway from Nigeria to Senegal. With the changeover to the right and further cooperation between the West African countries, Nigeria envisions an expanded market for her products.

Throughout the world, as in Africa, only a minority of countries still drive on the left, and many of these countries are seriously considering changing over to driving on the right. Most car-manufacturing countries drive on the right and manufacture mainly left-hand-drive cars. With more countries considering a switchover to driving on the right, the time is anticipated when the giant motor companies of the world would not find it worth while to continue to produce vehicles built for left-hand traffic. “Therefore,” a Nigerian pamphlet concludes, “if we do not change now, motor vehicles will in the near future be more expensive.”

Preparations

Nigeria started giving serious consideration to changing from left to right in 1969. From then on, much effort was put forth to achieve the aim. “Are we really prepared for the changeover?” “Will it not result in a number of accidents never before experienced in Nigerian history?” “Even if the people in the state capitals were educated on the traffic changeover, how will the people in the villages be educated to get used to the changeover?” were questions people asked.

On January 30, 1970, the Federal government set up the National Commission for Right-Hand Traffic. Attention was given to recruiting traffic control personnel, persons especially trained as road wardens to reinforce the present strength of the traffic police.

Consideration was also given to the road. Some of the existing highways had to be reconstructed for the changeover. New road signs for right-hand traffic were provided. All public passenger vehicle owners were ordered to change the doors of their carriages from left to right.

While other preparations were on, the Federal Ministry of Information was educating the people about the changeover. Use was made of the press, radio and television. Posters, handbills, booklets and car stickers were distributed free of charge to the public. A new highway code was made, billboards and banners were displayed. Cinerovers (mobile film vans) were sent to tour the country. In some states rehearsals were conducted to familiarize the people with the procedure of changing over smoothly to the right. All preparations cost the nation about LN3 million ($9,000,000). With all arrangements in order, Nigeria made the move from left to right.

The Result

Early on Sunday morning, April 2, 1972, I traveled about three miles to my congregation territory in Lagos on a bus to preach the good news of the Kingdom. I was also interested in seeing firsthand the outcome of the traffic changeover. Traffic policemen and road wardens could be seen at strategic points. But it seemed that the majority of motorists decided to take no chances on this first day of the changeover and so chose to stay at home.

Also, the day before the changeover, the Association of Minibuses had resolved that on April 2 no minibus should ply the road and that all drivers should gather their buses at a rendezvous to worship “Ogun,” the god of iron, who is said to be also responsible for the production of steel for making motor vehicles, in appreciation for the significant change in the history of the Nigerian driver.

But why the heavy congestion of traffic on Tuesday? Many reasons were given. Mr. Femi Okunnu, the Federal Commissioner for Works, explained that “the statutory limitation of Vehicular speed to 20 miles per hour . . . was bound to slow down the normal flow of traffic.” Furthermore, he said: “Many motorists . . . had refused to take advantage of the Easter holidays in test driving on the right so as to familiarize themselves with their new routes. Most, or indeed, all of such motorists caused a great deal of this morning’s traffic chaos, as they had to beckon at every traffic warden to show them their way.”

There is an interesting result of the changeover. Whereas death resulting from road accidents had increased by 54.4 percent in April 1971, compared with the corresponding month in 1970, it decreased by 77.6 percent in April 1972, the first month of the changeover. Also, motor accidents decreased by 55.8 percent, compared with the corresponding month in 1971. If traffic holdup was the only major inconvenience resulting from the changeover, in view of the hundreds of lives that were saved, it could be said that the changeover was very successful. But there is apprehension that the drivers, after getting used to the changeover, will return to their old habit of careless driving.

In retrospect, it must be admitted that the decision to change over was a bold one. Carrying it through involved overcoming many serious problems. By and large this was done successfully.