Chidoka Reassures On Safety Of Nigerian Roads

The Corps Marshal of the
Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Mr Osita  Chidoka, has  re-affirmed the commitment of the commission  toward ensuring safe  roads in the country
Chidoka stated this in Ibadan at a sensitisation programme on speed limiting devices at Soka area on Ibadan- Lagos express way, recently.
Represented by the Zonal Commanding Officer of the commission, Mr Lukas Kinya, Chidoka said that the programme became necessary as speed continued to be a major contributory factor in road traffic crashes in the country.
According to him, the sensitisation programme is to create public awareness on the traffic implications of speed violation and the need for drivers to install speed limiting devices in their vehicles.
Chidoka said  speed violation accounted for about 65 per cent of road crashes in the country in the last seven months.
He said  the need for aggressive campaign arose from traffic crashes within the period under review.
The Corps Marshal also disclosed that a total of 1, 397 buses were involved in road traffic crashes between January and June 2013, while 1, 437 were reportedly killed and 6, 831 persons injured.
He said  a  study of crashes also showed that road traffic crashes  involving buses  had been on the increase since 2007.
“Let me stress that this nation has suffered enough trauma from road carnage  caused by drivers who get unnecessary thrilled by speed.
“Now is the time to let the people know that speed may thrill, but kills.
“The most cost effective way of curtailing its danger is to ensure that the speed limiting device, called “the governor”  is effectively installed in vehicles,’’  he said.
In a remark,  the Director of  Khalil and Dibbo Transport Ltd, Ibadan, Mr Faloye Busuyi, commended the FRSC over  its campaign to ensure the safety of motorists and other road users.
According to him, the solution to  road traffic crashes must be the concern of all  stakeholders in  the road transport sector.
Our correspondent reports that stakeholders in the road  transport sector attended the  forum.
Many of them called on  government at all levels  to as a matter of urgency  rehabilitate all the major roads in the country.