Yuletide: FRSC Cautions Motorists On Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, 2nd Niger Bridge

As road users plan their holiday travels, the improved accessibility of interstate routes such as Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and Second Niger Bridge should not serve as an invitation to reckless driving, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has said.

Deputy Corps Marshal, Operations, FRSC, Kayode Fanola spoke during a live appearance on Saturday.

“Over the years, we have found that this last quarter of the year is a period when we have a lot of vehicles on the road; we have a lot of people on the road for so many reasons. Don’t forget that this very period, apart from the festivities, is also the harvesting (season).

“We know that our people in the rural areas are farmers. This is the time that their agricultural products are coming out. So, a lot of vehicles that have been parked from January to September will come out because there is work for them. That is one major issue,” he said.

Fanola also noted that traders are wont to stock their shops during the period in preparation for Christmas sales, while students return home from school for the end-of-year break.

“You would agree with me that, if a bus is carrying 14 passengers and they are all students, they have a lot of influence on the driver. They will tell the driver to play loud music and they want him to speed. These are factors. We are conscious of this.

“This time around, we have put plans in place to ensure that we counter these problems that we’re aware of. For this year, what is unique about it is that major corridors have been rehabilitated to the extent that speed is going to be an issue for us and we are prepared for that.

“For instance, the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway is like a Formula One track now; the road is virtually completed, all barriers have been removed. The minister ordered that they should be removed and the contractor has removed them, so the road is so free now,” he said.

The Deputy Corps Marshal disclosed that the FRSC had developed countermeasures against speeding, including campaigns on radio and social media appealing to Nigerians that with motorable roads should come good driving habits like patience and compliance with speed regulations. 

“(As for) the Niger Bridge, the traffic around Onitsha and Asaba is taking a different dimension now because the Second Niger Bridge has been openedand for the past two days now, people have been experiencing a smooth ride using the Second Niger Bridge, especially those that are going towards the eastern states of Imo, Abia, and so on.

“So, the traffic situation there is going to be different from what we have been having over the years. We have put men and facilities in place to ensure that people are able to travel safely and they will be able to get to their destinations on time with less stress. So, I believe that this Christmas/New Year period for this year, our experience is going to be different from what we have had in the past,” he said.

Giving a progress report on the enforcement of the speed limiting devices first introduced in 2016, Fanola disclosed that there had been a high level of compliance from passenger fleet operators and heavy-duty fleet operators, the primary targets of the safety policy.

“But we have not achieved 100 percent compliance. We (continue to) go along the route of enforcement (and) advocacy,” he added.