TWO SOUND CARS FOR A FAMILY AS A REGULATORY POLICY

A colleague of mine about two years ago expressed his desire to have and own at least three cars as a sign of wealth and luxury. Of course, I did not consider his wish an excess even though he owned two cars already. Reality, however, dawned on us all as very much recently, he only managed to bring just a car to work, majorly because of the economic stiffness in the country. This is because he can't afford to fuel two cars, and even if he could, he can't drive the two cars at the same time.

So, yes, he could actually live comfortably with a car within a reasonable space depending on the circumstances surrounding him. Having a car in a family is essential and goes beyond the luxury of owning one but also the need for it in terms of transportation of family, goods, and services. For a couple whose workplace may not be in the same direction and who have children in schools also, I believe the minimum of a car should be available with a maximum of two only because of ease.

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I have been driving a car for the past 15 years and could as well say that Nigeria has exploded with numerous cars on the road, most of which are in bad or terrible conditions and predisposing both commuters and pedestrians. Most Nigerians can only afford Nigerian used vehicles, i.e., buying already used vehicles from one another. These cars mostly have developed faults from previous owners, and the new users excitedly fall into the trap of owning a problematic vehicle that would make them regular customers of the mechanics. This puts an untold financial pressure on car owners, which may even translate to mental stress.

My friend bought a third-hand-used BMW car for 1.1 million Naira about a year ago, and all my counsel for him not to buy it fell on deaf ears. Now, he has spent over a million Naira on the car, ranging from high consumption of fuel to fixing of mechanical parts, which includes the engine. He recently told me he wants to put the car up for sale, and all I could say was, 'Good luck.'

And you can bet that only a few can afford foreign-used vehicles while only a few minorities can buy the new cars. This implies that the majority of vehicles on Nigerian roads are mostly unfit, being a physical threat to all and, in addition, polluting the environment with unwanted gases such as carbon dioxide, which contribute to the greenhouse gases, serving as a further threat to the ozone layer.

I strongly believe each family should own at least one vehicle, which should be sound and preferably newly purchased or foreign used. Having two cars in a family should be welcomed, but on the premise of being sound.

Thank you for your time. I would love to have your comments and comments.