Since the bus stops were opened, Lagosians have become accustomed to waiting for taxis or buses at night, especially at the Maryland exchange, Surulere and Ojuelegba junction, as well as other parts of the mainland.
In the past, such places were considered to be dangerous and unsafe for commuters waiting to board buses or taxis at night. Often, they were favourite haunts of criminals who hid under the cover of darkness to rob the unwary of their possessions.
Now, following the construction of modern bus stops, Lagosians can wait till 2 am for transportation.
At Palmgrove Bus Stop, taxi drivers and commuters agree that the inovation has turned night into day in Lagos, bringing back pleasant memories of the past.
Arole, a 55-year-old taxi driver, says, “The state government has brought back the nightlife we enjoyed in the 1960s and 1970s.
“We used to come here to pick passengers until 4 am because there was no fear of robbers in those days and electricity was constant.”
Some of the passengers, who were not in a hurry to board a taxi, told our correspondent that the light at the new bus stops had helped reduce the activities of touts on the expressway.
“The touts have moved into the inner streets now. In the past, they dominated the parks and extorted money from bus drivers because there was darkness everywhere. There are a few of them now and I think they operate in inner the streets, taking money from commercial cyclists who disobey the government's instruction not to work late at night,” one of the passengers said.
But commuters are not the only ones to be found at the bus stops. In fact, they only constitute a little over 50 per cent of those that loiter around the facilities.
At midnight, a new set of Lagosians or 'visitors' convert the bus shelters to temporary love gardens, which also serve as temporary homes for the destitute, who stay on till the break of dawn.
At night, Ikorodu Road undergoes a shocking but pleasant transformation as men and women of different ages gather under the well-lit bus shelters, chatting and cuddling until early morning.
A relaxed atmosphere pervades these little points of rendezvous that dot the entire length of the road. Obviously, these people are confident that at the end of their adventure, cabs will be waiting to take them to their respective homes.
Strange as it seems, there is an indication that this behaviour might be fuelled by frequent power outages in parts of the city and the current hike in the price of petrol, which makes it difficult for most Lagosians to turn on their power generators.
Added to the aesthetic appeal of the new bus stops, the constant presence of police patrol vehicles on the road at night instills some confidence in the denizens.
Some security personnel, who broke off patrol duty to eat and have drinks at make-shift joints around Ojuelegba, said that the men and women who sit at the bus stops could not be arrested in the absence of a curfew in the state.
One of the men said, “People move around for various reasons during the day and at night. The patrolmen at night are looking out for offenders and criminals, but they cannot arrest anyone who has not broken any law.
“The bus stops are public places and taxis and busses run for 24 hours. What we sometimes fail to realise is that more crimes are committed during the day. A few are recorded at night, especially when there are street lights around the bus stops.”
On Valentine's Day, the Stadium Bus Stop was deserted around 11 pm. But life returned around 12.30 am when a show got under way inside the National Stadium. Again, men and women, who were previously seen making merriment in a popular joint nearby, could be found around the place. While some of them sat inside the bus shelter, others found it convenient to sit on the painted pavement.
A woman, who sells food under the pedestrian bridge at Barrack Bus Stop in Surulere, thinks that the new bus shelter there is home to some of the homeless in the neighbourhood.
She says, “I sell more in the night because the boys no longer go home. They have converted the facility to their temporary home.
“Even bus drivers and conductors are not left out. Since they wake up as early as 4.30 am to start work, they no longer bother to go home. They simply park their vehicles somewhere and eat and sleep.
“They keep small bags in their vehicles, which contain clothes, toothpaste and toothbrushes. In the morning, they eat or pay for take-away food from me before I close at 6 am.”
Yet, there is a disturbing angle to the woman's account. She says that Indian hemp smoking, excessive drinking of illicit spirit, known as ogogoro, constant fighting among the new 'dwellers' of the bus stops and stealing, have become common.
http://odili.net/news/source/2012/feb/18/800.html
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