Bamise: How to use the emergency exit on BRT buses

The Bus Rapid Transit brought fresh air to intra-state movement in Lagos when it started operations in 2008.

The death of 22-year-old Bamise Ayanwola, a fashion designer, who was found dead, nine days after she was declared missing after she boarded a bus rapid transit (BRT) vehicle, raised safety concerns among commuters.

Many commuters who board BRT vehicles on a daily basis are conscious of reacting swiftly in case of emergency.

On social media, there have been viral messages on how to stay safe during emergency moments.

One of the viral messages reads: “If you find yourself inside any BRT Bus and you feel UNSAFE, kindly be on the lookout for the ‘Emergency Exit Sign’, it’s a ‘Red Latch’, you have to PULL it, it will activate the ‘Bus Emergency Brakes’, after pulling the ‘Red Latch’, that bus isn’t going anywhere.”

For the sake of authenticity, in the event of an emergency – danger, crash, or fire outbreak, how do the scores of passengers exit the bus to avoid fatality?

The help desk told our correspondent that during an emergency, one needs to pull the “Red Latch” in the bus, then the bus emergency brakes will be activated, then one can use the emergency exits through the windows.

Some of the exit points in a BRT bus include the front and back doors, the emergency escape doors, emergency escape windows, use of emergency hammers, the roof exit (opening of the roof and escaping through that exit route).

However, the emergency escape window is the easiest to access. There is one near each row of seats. It would require the window glass to be broken. However, it requires a special way to break it.

The different models of buses used for the delivery of the BRT bus services in Lagos state have multiple emergency exit points.

These exit points when used can significantly reduce casualties during an emergency.