Abuja’s speed breakers: Motorists’ nightmare
For instance, Akpan Umeh, a resident of Mbora District in Jabi told Sunday Trust, “These bumps, or whatever they call it, is doing more havoc than good on my car. Since they constructed them, I have had to change my shock absorber twice and the bolt joint of my vehicle is gradually giving way.’ Felicia […]
For instance, Akpan Umeh, a resident of Mbora District in Jabi told Sunday Trust, “These bumps, or whatever they call it, is doing more havoc than good on my car. Since they constructed them, I have had to change my shock absorber twice and the bolt joint of my vehicle is gradually giving way.’
Felicia Adekoya, another motorist, who drives around the city also complained that the bumps “can be best described as an irritant. They were not properly constructed. Although, the reason behind their establishment is laudable, they need to go about it in the proper way. For instance, the government should erect sign posts on all the areas where they have erected the bumps warning drivers to slow down in order to prevent accident. Imagine, my office is at Amazon Street in Maitama and I live in Gaduwa Estate. Every morning, on my way to work, I usually nurse the fear of other drivers running into my car whenever I slow down towards the bumps.”
When asked about the harmful effects of the bumps on cars, Seyi Oriloye, a motor mechanic told this medium, “Those bumps, as they are, can damage a vehicle’s shock absorbers, suspension system, bolt joint and even shorten the life span of a car’s shaft. Constant usage of vehicles on such bumps can slacken the shaft rubber.” A drive round the major road intersections where the bumps are located reveal an avalanche of nuts, bolts and other car parts lying close to the speed breakers, apparently having fallen off from vehicles.
But while reacting to the numerous complaints from the public, Abdulahi Zuru, the media assistant to the FCT minister told Sunday Trust, ‘The rate of traffic accidents have reduced drastically since the construction of the speed bumps. These speed bumps were constructed to reduce road accidents in the FCT, and if you observe very carefully, you will notice that these bumps were constructed at crossroads and at major junctions. But since the construction of these bumps, road traffic accidents have reduced drastically. Before they were constructed, we used to have about 30 to 50 traffic accidents on Abuja roads daily, but now that we have the speed bumps in place, we have less than five cases of accidents daily. It is the recklessness of drivers in the FCT that necessitated the construction of these bumps in the first place because, if motorists had been more careful, there would not have been any need for the bumps. Besides, those complaining about the bumps are the reckless drivers who try to run over the bumps with speed. These bumps were constructed in such a way that if you speed across them, they will damage your car. So the essence of it all is for motorists to slow down when they approach these major junctions.”
On the non-functioning of traffic lights, Zuru explained that over 80 percent of traffic lights in Abuja is functional. In cases where the lights are not working, we try to deploy traffic policemen to forestall chaos. So my appeal to motorists in Abuja is that they should be law abiding and desist from recklessness in the overall interest of the general public.”
In a bid to douse the growing skepticism that has trailed the installation of the bumps, the FCT minister, while explaining the rationale behind the construction of the speed breakers, said, “The officials of transport secretariat assisted in installing these speed bumps. They were installed under what we call corporate social responsibility system and the FCDA didn’t spend a kobo.
Everything was provided free of charge. We have also received reports from the FRSC and the police that the speed bumps have reduced the rate of accidents on the roads. Since the installation of the speed bumps, we have not recorded any deaths arising from accidents in the FCT. We are a listening government. That is why we are in a democratic dispensation. We have to listen to the complaints of the people. We are going to look into the possibility of removing some of the speed bumps in locations where they are not necessary and where they are desirable, we will make sure that we make amendment to make them smooth so that motorists can pass without undue difficulty.”