As has been happening for the six decades of independence, and much of the news about Africa these days is still about our daily challenges that include hunger in fertile, well-watered lands, nasty political contestations, senseless slaughter of our own and shameless theft by big (wo)men, which we give fancy names like “diversion of funds” …“failure to account” …“inflated bills” or “procurement irregularities”.
We probably even think we sound sophisticated mouthing these vulgarities, unlike our less schooled brothers and sisters who call theft “theft” or “eating money”. We pre-occupy ourselves with politics, yet we are taking forever to perfect it while our macro-economic management is riddled with criminality in half of the continent’s countries.
The rest of the world also has its “interesting” politics, including a possible return of Trump and the bizarre European war.
But when you check their media, many discussions touch other matters like the future of mobility.
Read: Is it time for energy transition in Africa? That’s the question
Even the European war (whose main players told African leaders to keep their clever advice to themselves) is in a way linked to energy resources, including the powering of transport.
One thing is for certain though: European, American and Asian roads are going to be much quieter by 2030, when new fuel engine cars as we know them will not be allowed onto the market any more by several countries as they get replaced by electric vehicles (EVs).
Hopefully, we in Africa will not be so dumb as to acquire seemingly cheaper second-hand and first-hand fuel cars in the coming years, yet we may have no spares for them from manufacturers.
But even the highly developed and presumably systematic countries are not always fully prepared for the consequences of technological advances.
Recently they were jolted by Leeds University study that projected an impending potholes epidemic (something they only get to see on African tour) because, well, with EVs weighing a lot more than fuel cars, the roads of the world are going to get damaged much faster, having been designed for today’s lighter fuel-powered cars.
The rich world will obviously adjust their road construction and maintenance budgets, even though they haven’t yet got on top of the provision of charging facilities for a billion-plus cars. And, yes, the EVs might even become obsolete faster than expected if research and innovation of hydrogen-powered vehicles keeps its current momentum.
Back to the roads, which are going to get quieter, how many millions of Africans who would have died remained alive because they heard a car engine and jumped out of the way in time?
Read: Energy sector seeks financing solutions tailored to Africa’s needs
So, when most cars become soundless over the next decade to two, how many will be knocked dead in Africa, where pedestrians and cyclists equally access highways and village paths?
But African pedestrians could be safe, as our roads are increasingly acquiring a new sound besides the engines; those sirens on lead cars that chase taxpayers out of the way for the tax consumers to pass.
The menace varies in extent and intensity from country to country. In some, there is more “poo-poo” sound announcing the VIPs’ approach for scared citizens to scatter as their rulers slice through the dense traffic.
The “poo-poo” sound on African roads is unlikely to go away soon, as even mere administrative actions aren’t being tried out to decongest (especially) urban roads. Constructing special roads for the “poo-poo” VIPs isn’t an option, as the intended beneficiaries would steal the budgeted money.
So, even as we import soundless EVs, the roads will remain loud, which makes a case for keeping the “poo-poo” sound to warn pedestrians of approaching cars so they jump out of the way.
As the Leeds researchers concern themselves with the health of the European road surfaces, African researchers can start examining the injury and survival chances of a person being knocked by a heavier EV, compared to being hit by a fuel vehicle.
They could end up recommending that the soundless EVs always switch on their “poo-poo” hoots (hasn’t it been Cairo’s culture for a century?) so we all be like VIPs, going “poo-poo” everywhere.
