Regus, the global flexible workplace provider, is encouraging commuters to spend more time with their loved ones this Valentine’s Day to boost both personal and professional relationships.
According to a recent research by Joseph Ukpata of the Department of Civil Engineering, Cross River University of Technology, Calabar, many urban cities in Nigeria are bedevilled with traffic congestion which tends to defy various remedial measures adopted by different governments over the years. “Journey times from one point to another within a town have remained unreliable and residents have continued to face disturbing inconveniences in transportation. These are accompanied by noise and air pollution and the high costs associated with burning of fuels from stationary vehicles Lagos has the highest travel time to work just as Port Harcourt and Abuja cities are in the lead of most affected by traffic congestion, among other major cities in Nigeria.[1]
So why not save money and time by cutting your commute time? With less time and money spent on commuting, it leaves more for romance – or the other important things in life – and it’s certainly a priority for office workers. In a Regus survey of business people, 86% of Nigerian respondents said they would use shorter commuting time to spend more time with family.
Less time in the car also has environmental benefits too; the same poll found that 47% of people globally think a shorter drive to work is the easiest way for firms to reduce their carbon footprint.
And what better time to implement these initiatives than Valentine’s Day? The time saved could even help people find the perfect gift after research last year found that many people get it wrong when it came to Valentine’s Day. According to the survey, there was a marked discrepancy between the present people intended to give and the one their partner wanted to receive. Only 20% of people, for example, actually wanted flowers.