URBAN TRAFFIC FLOW MANAGEMENT AS A STRATEGY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY IN NIGERIAN CITIES

This paper presents a study of traffic management as a strategy for urban environmental road safety in Nigeria. The urban traffic environment there has many problems, including inadequate road infrastructure, traffic congestion, air pollution, noise, and road accidents. Therefore, it is not yet safe for increased interactions between varying land use structures. The first part of the paper analyses the problems, and the second part presents four short-term and four long-term strategies for efficient traffic flow and safety. A table lists nine characteristics of urban mobility problems in Nigeria. The interaction between these factors creates these difficulties that are faced by the country's large urban population. These problems can be classified and examined in the following groups: (1) road traffic infrastructure, including roads, traffic signs, traffic signals, footways, pedestrian crossings, parking spaces, and street lighting; (2) land-use planning; (3) motor vehicle supply, especially of buses and taxis, accounting for over 95% of urban public transport trips; and (4) accidents. The short-term strategies address immediate problems, for which government and other funds can be found. The long-term strategies require large transport investments, to achieve an efficient, environment-friendly transport system.