<\/p>\n
By Lydia Chigozie-Ngwakwe<\/p>\n
The Federal Government may reintroduce weighbridges on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway to check overloaded vehicles and reduce road accidents.<\/p>\n
The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Mr Olufemi Dare, disclosed this on Tuesday during a joint press conference with the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Mr Oluwaseun Osiyemi.<\/p>\n
The conference took place on the Otedola Bridge in Lagos State, on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a tanker fire incident occurred on the bridge on Monday.<\/p>\n
Dare said that a proposal would be presented to the Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi, for possible inclusion of weighbridges in plans to upgrade the expressway with continuously reinforced concrete pavement.<\/p>\n
According to him, weighbridges will help to monitor the weight of trucks and other articulated vehicles, improve road safety and encourage checks on their braking systems.<\/p>\n
\u201cWithin the next one week, we will present a proposal to the minister to see how weighbridges can be incorporated into the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Dare said that the fire incident occurred when a fully-loaded tanker reportedly rolled backwards and fell beneath the bridge after a collision with another vehicle.<\/p>\n
He said that the incident raised concerns about road safety.<\/p>\n
He said that the Federal Ministry of Works would conduct a comprehensive test to assess the structural integrity of the bridge.<\/p>\n
Dare attributed some road accidents to reckless driving, poor vehicle maintenance, and removal of public infrastructure, including guardrails and solar lights.<\/p>\n
He said that more than 100 solar lights had been removed from the expressway while indiscriminate parking by trucks and theft of road infrastructure continued to pose challenges.<\/p>\n
The controller said that an expanded stakeholders\u2019 meeting would be held in mid-November to address the problems.<\/p>\n
He said that the meeting would involve motorists, traditional rulers, security agencies from Lagos and Ogun states, and other relevant stakeholders.<\/p>\n
Dare thanked Lagos State Traffic Management Authority and other emergency responders for \u00a0prompt response to the accident.<\/p>\n
On his part, Osiyemi said the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway corridor was often regarded as an accident-prone area but attributed many of its safety challenges to bad driver behaviour and poor vehicle maintenance.<\/p>\n
He said that the fire incident was reportedly linked to improper maintenance of vehicle.<\/p>\n
The commissioner said that Lagos and Ogun states would need stronger cooperation to manage activities on the corridor.<\/p>\n
He disclosed that the two states had received approval from the minister of works to organise a wider stakeholders\u2019 meeting to address road safety concerns, indiscriminate parking and other causes of accidents.<\/p>\n
Osiyemi said the meeting would involve\u00a0 commissioners for transportation in both states and commissioners of police in the two states, among other stakeholders.<\/p>\n
He also welcomed the proposed introduction of weighbridges on the expressway, and said some vehicles using the highway were either overloaded or were not suitable for the route.<\/p>\n
He said, \u201cWe need weighbridges, and without that agreement, it might be tough because the corridor is one that requires collaboration.\u201d<\/p>\n
The commissioner urged truck owners and transport unions to educate their drivers on proper vehicle maintenance and other safe driving practices.<\/p>\n
He said that the Lagos State Government had begun its ember-month road safety campaign and deployed more personnel to the roads to reduce accidents.<\/p>\n
Osiyemi also called on motorists travelling into and out of Lagos to exercise caution.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is better to travel and get to our destinations later and safely than trying to rush and die in the process,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He said that, according to a report available to him, one person sustained burn injuries from the accident and was receiving treatment in a hospital.<\/p>\n
Osiyemi assured motorists that the bridge was safe to use, citing the controller\u2019s assessment while saying that a comprehensive structural test would be conducted on it.<\/p>\n
The General Manager, Lagos State Traffic Management Agency, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Transportation, Mr Wale Musa, and other officials of the Federal Ministry of Works, also attended the briefing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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