Every Pandemic outbreak disrupts the activities of the areas affected even after it is long gone, various sectors of the Economy will be affected one of which is the Transportation industry. The Covid-19 Pandemic is not exempted, the risk of the disease spreading due to human movement is high, and this is evident with the number of cases recorded all over the world, which led to the lockdown of the affected countries and states by the Federal government and state governments. Even with the lockdown the use of various transport means are still needed; there is need for steady supply of foods, Emergency goods and medical supplies thereby leading to a surge in demand for truck drivers in transportation of essential goods into warehouses and grocery stores, medical supplies were supplied to affected areas with the use of Airplanes and Helicopters. This goes to show how indispensable the transportation industry is.
It is widely believe by many that the current lockdown , vaccination, Covid-19 protocols are all scheme by the Nigerian Government to enrich their pocket further, but I won't focus on the validity of such thoughts in this article, rather I will talk about the way forward after the lockdown
The road transport users are one of the people that have been badly hit by the pandemic. So many activities are attached to the use of the road by both public and private cars; Traders display their wares and goods at various bus stops, there is a huge loss of income by drivers, bus conductors and commercial vehicle owners who depend on daily earning from the bus services. Revenues are generated by Government from Tolls collected from buses and cars plying the highways and borders. Also due to the Pandemic the prices of Transport Fares for various destinations in the Three states locked down; Lagos state, Ogun state and the Federal capital Territory and the other states was hiked by the bus driver which led to the reduction of price of petroleum by the President in order to make things easier for the masses. Even after the situation normalized, the perception of risk associated with crowded areas could lead to shift in preferences towards personal travel modes and online shopping. People are most likely going to avoid using Public transport modes to avoid crowd, however, private ownership of cars will lead to congestion in urban areas. Another possible change is the habit shopping for groceries and other household needs which was cultivated by many during the lockdown period, the fact that it is stress free, coupled with its attractive promos and discounts might lead to people shunning the previous method of going to stores to shop, thereby reducing the number of people patronizing the drivers.
Although the road is seen as the most important means of transport inland, the importance of the railway lines cannot be over emphasized, The Railway service has also been hit by this development and if necessary measures are not taken it might have a long lasting negative effect on this sector. Take for instance the on-going Railway line construction which is widely seen by many as a final solution to the ever increasing traffic on our roads has been on hold since the lockdown which inevitably extends the completion date of the project. Also the Railway services add to the government revenue and so many people depend on activities being conducted at various stations and its surroundings. The Train is usually overcrowded to the extent that people sit in the toilets, while some go to the extreme by hanging and climbing the top of the train, even when a vaccine is gotten for the virus it will be required of people to keep to the social distancing instruction for few months and this is an almost impossible thing on Nigeria trains, which might lead to inactivity of the train service for some period of time.
The airports are not left behind, airline operations have also been inactive, and in fact it was one of the first few sectors to be shut down in order to curtail the spread of this Virus. Government revenue and individual income has been affected. After the Pandemic is over it is to be expected that this sector will bear a huge brunt of the pandemic. Taking the 1918 influenza (Spanish flu) pandemic as a case study, the number of people who traveled to the affected area even after the flu became a bygone was not as much as those that do prior to the outbreak, people chose not to travel to such areas due to uncertainty and fear. Something of such nature should be expected after this pandemic. With the fact that this virus started in Wuhan (China) and spread across countries in Europe which are popular destinations of Nigerians travelling out for Vacations and work, so many people will be reluctant to travel for some time, which will lead to loss for the airlines and might led to sacking of some staffs.
Let's turn lemon to lemonade
Beyond the negative effects of this pandemics are opportunities, one of these are the app-based taxi services; there is a big chance for the service to blossom in the post virus stage, personal travel will most likely become the order of the day and not everyone have a private car to make use of, thereby making the app-based service a quick run to. Bicycles will also be an ideal way of transporting for short distances, for not only does it save money, it is pollution free, it can take the user to his doorstep, cheap to acquire and maintain. The state and Federal Government can also key into this opportunity, since the use of Mass transit will for a long time look unappealing to people, the Government can Design a scheme which will help de-congest the urban cities, create employment opportunities and generate revenue for the Country. Designing of road networks, use of dual carriage ways, flyover, and four lane roads should be a tool to tackle the issue of congestion on our roads. More Trains working around the clock will also go a long way in helping and indirectly creating more jobs and stimulate the inert economy.
Finally, it has been predicted by various experts that there will be an Economy meltdown in various countries and lots of people will be out of job as an aftermath effect of the pandemic, the National development of a country is in a huge way determined by the functionality of the transport system. Rather than see this pandemic as a setback, we must take it as an eye opener to our flaws. Maintenance of our Roads, rails, harbors and ports should be strictly adhered to. For when the on-going Railway project is completed alongside other roads and airports under construction all over the country, without proper maintenance and technical know-how, within few years they will be nothing to write home about. Human capital development should come fore front, the Government should send people to developed and advanced countries to learn from them, professionals should be invited to train our people on methods, regulations, transport equipment and communication systems used in these countries, this will create employment for many and in the long run revenue to the Government.
Note: This article is written in respect to the current situation in Nigeria.
Let me drop my pen here or let me say let my keyboard rest for now...do well to drop your opinion in the comment section. Bye for now.
Good read