The importance of walking cannot be overemphasized
Walking is an exercise recommended and encouraged by doctors and dieticians for both young and old to live healthy. Thus the reason for this article ” problem of street parking”.
Considering the technology advancement, people can be seated in the confines of their room using a smart phone to do their running around. This has given room to high rate of obesity in both young and old. Thus, the need to exercise and keep fit.
Our diets are equally not helping matters because they consist mostly of carbohydrates and fats. Also, some want to exercise but cannot afford the costs of joining gyms and health recreational outfits. Hence, they embrace health walks in their various communities. Some don’t even have the time or will power to exercise. The only form of exercise available to them is walking which is now being hindered by street parking.
Problem of Street Parking
Lagos is a coastal area, surrounded by bodies of water. Land remains a treasure-trove in Lagos and so anybody that has a space wants to maximize its benefits. Economically, this has its good sides, especially for the land owners.
Years ago, residential buildings and offices used to have either a garage or parking space for their guests or clients. But now, the reverse is the case. Houses are now being built without designated areas for residents’ car parks. Schools, churches and shopping malls are now being constructed without regards for car parks and recreational spaces. Thus, what we have now is a state where residents and members of the church now park on either side of the road. This unpleasant practice is now the order of the day. Pedestrians struggle with vehicles to move on the narrow paths of the road. It also discourages walking on the roads for leisure or exercise for fear of being knocked down by cars.
Recent statistics by Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, reveals that more than 2 million active vehicles ply Lagos roads today.
In conclusion, the problem of unlawful parking has become overbearing and must be fully addressed. A recent study conducted by the Lagos State Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, LAMATA, has shown that a major cause of traffic jam in Lagos is street parking.
More organized parking facilities would certainly help reduce traffic along the largely congested roads. Moreover, it will not only reduce traffic but prove to be a revenue generator for the state. If this is appropriately addressed, it will not only create an enabling environment for everyone to live, it will also improve the state of living of everybody in the areas concerned.