#HornFreeDay: Lagos targets noise pollution control with ‘No Horn Day’

The Commissioner for Transport, Kayode Opeifa has said that the purpose of observing the “Lagos No Horn Day” is to have a noise pollution free day in Lagos.

The Commissioner told Channels Television on Wednesday that the containment of the Ebola Virus Disease showed that Nigerians could achieve whatever they want to achieve.

“Ebola was contained in Lagos properly and if we can contain Ebola that is not in our individual control, how much more something that we bought with our money, to be used for our comfort, then we can do without it,” he said.

Speaking as a guest on Sunrise Daily, Mr Opeifa referred to honking as an environmental and health issue, explaining that the noise level in the transportation sector is about 90 decimal according to World Health Organisation he stressed that the Lagos “No Horn Day” campaign was aimed at solving a public health issue through a social intervention idea.

“If you have a public health issue and you use social intervention to solve it, you get a better result.”

The Commissioner also explained that to further ensure the achievement of the noise polution free day, the state government had created lanes for both motorists and pedestrians.

He emphasised that if people adhere to the signs by staying on their lanes honking would be less. “My administration is not afraid of taking a bold step or making mistake and that is because we would be accused for not making an effort,” the Commissioner for Transport said.

Mr Opeifa also said that accidents caused on the roads were sometimes due to human error, attributed to impatience. “Noise pollution causes the adrenaline level to rise, it makes one get aggressive and it also triggers loss of hearing capacity. If there is a need to honk, especially when it comes to saving a life, then it should be used.

The Commissioner noted that, “since the governor said it was looking at controlling the use of horn, his driver had not used the horn for a year now.

Credit: Channels