COMMUTERS DEMAND MORE FROM LAGOS BRT

Satisfying customers on transit is a primary responsibility of governments operating Bus Rapid Systems (BRTs). Bus rapid transit (BRT, BRTS), a bus-based mass transportation system is known to have specialized designs, services and infrastructure to improve system quality and remove the typical causes of delay. In some nations, sometimes described as a "surface subway", it aims to combine the capacity and speed of train or tube with the flexibility, lower cost and simplicity of a bus system. Now operating in Nigeria, BRT has proved to be the fancy of Lagosians with many choosing to ride away from their personal automobiles. The major question from customers is “has this system been potent enough to alleviate the woes of commuters in the metropolitan state of Lagos”?

In the past and at the inception, 2007 exactly, critics argued that the initiation of the BRT system in Lagos was not necessary while others laud the wisdom of the State government in such a swift move to economically empower its residents and salvage workers from perpetual lateness to their workplaces. With Nigeria government dedicating more budgets to transportation, the move to have a standard BRT system cannot be overemphasized.

Lately and on daily basis, passengers of BRT in Lagos continued to decry the peculiarity of its operations. The whole system meant for rapid transportation is turning out to be slower than the conventional buses that were in existent before them. Unanimously on several occasions, the passengers take turn to advise the BRT drivers on what route to ply because BRT routes are no longer predictable. The management of these busses must be taught that customer satisfaction feedback requirements are not limited corporate places or business offices alone. The service delivery of any space that earns from the presence and assemblage of people who pay for rendered services must not be left unmonitored.

As the patronage count increases, more of the profit should be invested in improvement of the BRT as a business to guarantee a total alignment with global best practices especially the requirements to guarantee more word of mouth marketing from commuters. Beyond treating the Bus Rapid Transit system as an option that customers cannot avoid because of perpetual traffic grid locks that characterize our environment, Lagos state should resolve the following to show that it is listening to the voice of its customers.

WHAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD DO TO SALVAGE THE COMMUTERS’ PREDICAMENT IN LAGOS

1.   NON AVAILABILITY OF BRT / IRREGULAR DISTRIBUTION OF BUSSES TO ROTES

·        Rather than advise the government to reduce BRT fares. It is more economy friendly to increase the number of busses plying the state. On many occasions, people have to wait unimaginably long hours for busses to come to the extent that when they eventually comes, commuters will be begging even to stand like in the Molue days just to get to their offices. This does not align with what the objective of BRT should be. BRTs in other nations are to alleviate commuter problems and not to add to them. Lagos State should not only concern itself with maximum revenue drive at the expense of convenience for the masses.

Make more busses available and have a more effective maintenance team on ground. It is high time Lagos State and the Federal government unite on satisfying the Lagos commuters who are residents and citizens from all over the country. There is no need for government clashes and antagonistic interferences based on policies that would benefit the public. Instead, reaching a consensus to manage differences and interests of both levels of government is a better approach.

2.   RECKLESS DRIVERS

·        More than ever before and on an incremental degree, the deterioration of driving skills observed amongst the BRT drivers should not be condoned. Regular training events should expose the man directing the wheels to global skills and internationally accepted attitude required of drivers. This is seriously lacking and the knowledge gap must be addressed.

  

3.   UNPROFESSIONAL ATTITUDE OF BRT EMPLOYEES

·        Working for the state government has turned some staff of the BRT system into thin gods. Imagine several of them now refuse to do their jobs but cause quarrels, fight and abuse commuters. They lack anything one can describe as customer service skills and how to work in a business environment. These staff members are misrepresenting the good initiative of Lagos state and must be cautioned. There is need to employ mystery shoppers who can appropriately and covertly report vices and unwanted attitude displayed by any staff of BRT. Penalizing one or two of them over negative attitudes towards customers and the job would make them sit straight. More than necessary is the need to continuously train staff members as they represent the government in their deeds daily.

4.   MASS UNSAFE STANDING ON TRANSIT

·        Why should customers stand unsafely in the BRT busses? If Molue was eradicated because Lagos must be safe and better, then BRT must control how commuters are allowed to stand on transit. Eradicate the perception of Molue that commuters are beginning to have about the state this government initiative in BRT. If there must be standing, then it must be controlled to the barest minimum to avoid health issues and accidents that can result. We should not wait until people begin to faint in BRTs before seeing the need to control how many people should stand in a bus. On several occasions BRT busses have being observed to carry over 45 standing passengers. This is more than the sitting population in the vehicle and an indication that there is need for more busses.

5.   GOOD MAINTENANCE & PROMPT RESOLUTION OF MECHANICAL FAULTS

·        The need for good management, maintenance and prompt resolution of these busses cannot be taken for granted. The fact said that Lagos state is happy to be revenue driven is not enough for the short and long term. Strategic positioning of policies, pricing and maintenance of BRT by any incumbent government is a pointer to how the citizenry will benefit from the state.

There is no way we can free the management of BRT from employing simple principles that have been tested and are trusted in marketing. In July 2013, the American Marketing Association defined Marketing as “the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large. The definition had been approved and applauded to be true by international institutions and governments for the creation of value. Thus, in order for Lagos state to create a strategic profitability of the BRT system instead of a short term focus, there must be significant conscious improvements to better the system now adopted by majority of its residents.