Fast Lanes, Fatal Ends: Inside the Perilous World of Lagos Dispatch Riders
By Taiwo Olapade
It was a gory sight for me and a few other residents around Total, Fadeyi inward Ojuelegba on Ikorodu Road yesterday, after a fatal accident claimed the life of a dispatch rider.
The unidentified rider died on the spot. His lifeless body was moved to the median of the road by officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and some good Samaritans who were present at the scene.
Some of his personal belongings were seen scattered a few metres away from his body. What a sad and tragic way for a life to end.
The unfortunate—but avoidable—incident occurred a few minutes past two in the afternoon. This marked the second time in one week that I witnessed a fatal accident involving a dispatch rider dying instantly in Lagos. The first happened last Saturday around the Alimosho area of the state.
I had earlier noticed the alarming speed of some dispatch riders along Ikorodu Road, especially around Obanikoro while I was driving towards Surulere. Moments later, I got to the scene of the accident.
The Lagos State Ministry of Transportation must, as a matter of urgency and necessity, organise a stakeholders’ summit to address the issues of overspeeding and reckless driving by many dispatch riders. Don’t get me wrong—I am not suggesting that yesterday’s tragedy was caused by overspeeding, as those responsible for investigating the immediate and remote causes have yet to release their findings.
However, the Lagos State Government must begin to arrest and prosecute riders who violate traffic laws in order to curb this dangerous trend and prevent further loss of lives on our roads.
A mandatory life insurance policy for dispatch riders, provided by their employers, would also be a welcome development—ensuring their families have something to fall back on when the unfortunate happens.
It’s easy to see that the way many riders conduct themselves on the road is driven by the need to meet delivery timelines and trip targets. But life has no duplicate. It is far better to arrive late and safe than to rush and meet an untimely death.
It will take a long time for me to erase the image of that gory sight from my memory. Let us all remember—life has no duplicate.
