FG Working On Reducing Road Accidents By 50%

The Federal Government has reiterated its commitment to reduce road crashes fatalities by 50 percent on Nigerian roads. This formed part of a declaration by the Honorable Minister of Works, Arc Mike Onolememen during the donation of six Peugeot Expert tepee single stretcher ambulances and 24 Yamaha XJ900P power bikes to Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC)

Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Woks, Dr. Abubakar Muhammad, the Minister said the machines are to improve safety level along the selected safe road corridors, adding that “today’s occasion symbolizes in a very unique way, our dedication to the task of exploring innovative and resourceful ways of funding the road safety intervention in the road sector”.

In his words: “The distribution of these ambulances and motor bikes along the safe corridors will enhance road safety management and increase safe enforcement strategies. Our determination in this regard cannot and will not in the least be compromised because the lives of our citizens using these roads are vital for our socio-economic renewal as indeed national transformation”.

The Minister also said the project was a collaboration between the Federal Government and the World Bank under the Federal Roads Development Project and represents the way forward for all critical infrastructures in line with the Federal Government’s policy of promoting partnership with multi-lateral and private sector financiers.

“It is gratifying to note that these ambulances and motor bikes are equipped with required state of the art communication equipment that will substantially improve safety enforcement strategies and enhance adequate and prompt accident recovery. In particular, it will considerably assist in reducing accidents fatality by at least 50 percent along the selected safe corridors”, he said.

Onolememen, therefore enjoined the Road Sector Development Team, the unit which oversees the Federal Roads Development Project of the World Bank to rededicate themselves to the task of ensuring that the ambulances, motor bikes, other vehicles and the communication equipment are properly used at the agreed locations, and also enjoined the Federal Road Safety Corps to ensure adequate maintenance and regular service of the equipment.

The Corps Marshal, Osita Chidoka, in his address, said with these equipment, the Corps would be more effective and efficient in the discharge of its duties.

While appreciating President Goodluck Jonathan for the equipment, Chidoka pledged his Corps’ readiness to make judicious use of all the equipment as well as performing optimally. He also reiterated the Corps’ total commitment to the Vision 2020:20 with respect to reducing road traffic crashes and fatalities in the country.

The Corps Marshal added that “ we have since embarked on aggressive road crash reduction programmes in the country and intensified our campaigns among member countries of the West African Sub-region under the auspices of the West African Road Safety Organization(WARSO). These are geared towards achieving 50 percent reduction in road crashes and fatalities by 2015 in line with the Accra declaration, the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety, 2011 -2020 and the nation’s quest of becoming one of the 20 largest economies and safest in the world by 2020 in line with the development agenda of the present administration.”