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By Correspondent in Lokoja.
Worried by the alarming rise in traffic-related crashes and the growing loss of lives across the state, the Kogi State Government has unveiled a decisive plan to restore sanity on its roads with plan to establish a Special Traffic Task Force Unit.
The move, announced in a communiqué issued at the end of a high-level stakeholders’ meeting in Lokoja, signals a renewed commitment by the administration of Governor Ahmed Ododo to tackle what officials described as an “unacceptable” trend of reckless driving and road indiscipline.
The meeting was chaired by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Road Safety Matters, Dr. Suberu Yusuf-John.
According to the communiqué, the proposed Task Force will comprise key stakeholders drawn from relevant security agencies, transport unions, and regulatory bodies.
Its mandate will include monitoring, coordinating, and regulating traffic flow across the three senatorial districts of the state, with a view to significantly reducing road accidents and ensuring safer highways for millions of commuters.
The government noted that beyond saving lives, the Task Force will also address perennial traffic congestion, especially during festive seasons, through strategic deployment of personnel, effective traffic control measures, and strict enforcement of road safety regulations.
The initiative will enjoy the backing of critical partners, including the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety and Injury Prevention, underscoring a collaborative approach to improving road safety standards in the state.
Stakeholders at the meeting identified major causes of road crashes to include indiscipline among road users, reckless driving, inadequate road signage, substance abuse by drivers, overloading, poor road conditions, and the use of untrained drivers.
They stressed that addressing these factors requires both enforcement and sustained public enlightenment.
To this end, the meeting recommended intensified awareness campaigns through radio, television, and other media platforms, alongside road rehabilitation, installation of proper signage, and stricter vehicle inspection regimes.
Other measures include drug testing for drivers, promotion of responsible driving culture, and restrictions on the movement of heavy-duty trucks during peak daytime periods.
Participants drawn from a broad spectrum of institutions,including the Federal Road Safety Corps, Nigerian Army, Nigeria Police Force, NSCDC, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Red Cross Society, transport unions, health institutions, and trader associations,unanimously agreed that road safety must be treated as a collective responsibility.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
