Airports have a way of setting your mind up for what to expect when you get to a new place. The popular expression is first impression. From that moment on, you subconsciously decide your disposition towards every experience you have in that place. Sometimes when you marry that primary engagement with what you were told before embarking on your journey, you just want to get what you have come to do over and done with in good time and get yourself back to your comfort zone. It is not all about pleasure; the aura around the arrival terminal of an airport forms the core of how people who have come to that destination to do business create their disposition to life in the new destination. An unpleasant experience could leave a lasting memory with unfathomable ripple effect.
If you have ever arrived into Murtala Mohammed International airport, Lagos, Nigeria especially at night time or you have been there at this time to meet an arriving friend or associate you know exactly what I am talking about. While I have no gloom to share or spare, I would not paint a dire picture of the experience for those who have not for the singular sake of patriotism. I would just start and end by saying it is very disorderly and rowdy.
I have wondered for some time now how this experience can be improved and I have an idea I wish to share. I would appreciate your sincere comments and ideas about this problem. I am saying as clear as possible that this is not a panacea.
Instead of having all the cars come to the front off the arrivals exit to pick up their family and friends, the front of the arrivals terminal can be made to be a bust terminal where all arriving passengers would come to board well regulated and customer focused airport operated buses that would convene passengers to the car parks where the real magic would occur. (Provided there is enough space at the car park or more space can be created as the car park which is at the moment referred to as a temporary one may be too small to fit all the traffic. The car parks can be in more than one location with buses leaving the arrival terminal adequately signifying destination car park and other details)
The car parks need to be remodelled
The car pack needs to be divided into sections denoted by alphabetic nomenclature and each parking lot needs to be marked by alphanumeric nomenclatures. This may be a bit expensive but it is sure better than the disorder that we currently have.
The buses that will convene arriving passengers from the exit of the arrival terminals would then be marked by the Alphabetic naming that the car parks would have and there would be bus stands at the arrivals area for each alphabet.
Family, friends and associates of the arriving passengers would then inform them of their parked location, for instance if I have come to pick my friend and I have parked at parking lot 26 in the Parking Area C. I will just tell him I have parked at C26 and he will join bus C from the arrival area. Bus C would then drop all passengers who have boarded targeting the C area at a bus stand in the C area and my friend in this case would easily find lot 26, then we would drive out at our own pace and keep moving all the way without any reason to stop.
This would reduce the security and safety stress arriving passengers face arriving into Nigeria, greatly improving passenger experience. It would also take away traffic stress that has inundated the airport area at peak periods.
Have a thought and comment freely.
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