When Unruly Behaviour Reigns!

Violation of Highway Code, uncontrolled use of public space and vehicle overloading are some of the faces of the problem of public indiscipline in Cameroon today.

Nowadays in the society, the number of citizens who can still think and act rightly has dwindled. Most people in Cameroon today lack the sense of "good citizenship", not because they are not educated or unaware of what to do when they encounter certain situations. This is because people want to do things their own way irrespective of existing laws.

This is why in the community, it is common to see phenomena such as road users violating the Highway Code, uncontrolled use of public space, lack of respect for one another, overloading of passengers and car owners disrespecting pedestrian's right to use the zebra crossing.

An observer met along one of the streets in Yaounde says the way people use the road leaves him wondering what will happen in the next decade? The observer says a pedestrian wanting to cross the road, signals his intention by being in the right spot on the zebra crossing spot. But he has to wait for minutes because speeding motorists do not consider his presence. "I have seen pedestrians run for their lives on pedestrian crossings. I have seen pedestrians in the middle of the crossing and motorists passing at top speed in front and behind the pedestrians as if the road was clear," the observer noted.

The hurtful thing, the observer added, is that car owners care less if is a group wanting to cross or whether there are children. "These speeding motorists just do not care," the observer lamented. Rekia Ngeh Nfunfu of the Ministry of Youths Affairs and Civic Education says there is also disregard for pedestrians even when the red traffic light indicates that they can cross the road. Rekia Ngeh narrates that, when the red traffic light is on, Cameroonians, who are supposed to be responsible judging from their attire and the kind of cars they own, drive across the red traffic lights with all ease. The poor manner in which taxi drivers use the highway cannot be over emphasised.

Another vivid manner in which Cameroonians portray undisciplined behaviour is how they respect notice boards which read; "Do Not Trespass!", "Do Not Throw Dirt Here!", "Do Not Place Your Goods Here!" It is usually astonishing to notice that just where there is a notice board saying "Do Not Throw Dirt Here!" heaps of dirt keep piling. People act as if they do not understand the message on the board or have not seen the board.

Another shocking thing is that even where there is a public trash bin, some people prefer to throw their dirt next to the bin instead of inside. Not respecting public order is the talk of the day, particularly along sidewalks in Yaounde as well as major markets. One cannot count the number of times urban uproars have occurred at the Mokolo market in Yaounde between council authorities and traders who do not want to respect the law. In fact, moral decadence is alarming in Cameroon...