Speed breakers: To go or not?

The House of Representatives has renewed its call for the removal of the speed breakers on Abuja highways, offering to provide budgetary provisions for their removal, “if that is what it will need”. Usman Nafada, the Deputy Speaker, said Tuesday, that the chamber still opposed the speed bumps, and would do all it can to […]

The House of Representatives has renewed its call for the removal of the speed breakers on Abuja highways, offering to provide budgetary provisions for their removal, “if that is what it will need”.

Usman Nafada, the Deputy Speaker, said Tuesday, that the chamber still opposed the speed bumps, and would do all it can to clear the structures which the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), said were meant to curb reckless driving and the attendant auto crashes around the city centre.

After motorists complained that the speed breakers had caused more damage than the desired merits, lawmakers urged Adamu Aliero, remove the breakers.

Mr Aliero explained that the project was financed by a commercial bank with the FCT’s approval; as such, the administration had no funds to remove them in 2009.

While considering the budget proposal of the FCT for 2010 on Tuesday, the lawmakers said they expected Mr Aliero, who had faced repeated criticisms for non-performance, to have listed funds for the project in the new budget.

“They are complaining that the breakers were created by a bank and they don’t have money to remove them,” said Mr. Nafada. “Now is the time for them to put money in the budget to remove them and they have not put it.”

The capital city proposed a budget of over N347 billion for 2010 with more than N278 billion planned for capital expenditure which the administration said will include the expansion of the city and upgrade of facilities, as Abuja experiences a rapidly rising population.

Mr Nafada said as the House continues debating the proposed projects listed in the estimates, they will consider inserting a provision to fund the removal of the speed breakers. “If they don’t put it, we will put it for them,” he said.

FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, said the speed breakers will be removed.

This is even as the Corp Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Osita Chidoka, said the speed breakers have reduced road crashes and should be allowed to be.

Senator Mohammed said people have sent uncountable letters of complaints to him against the bumps and since they do not conform with international traffic standards, they will be removed. “We are going to remove them,” he promised.

Instead, the ministry will adopt appropriate safety measures to check over speeding and control traffic, he said. The bumps were built at spots with frequent accidents by the former FCT Minister, Adamu Aliero.

However, Chidoka said since the erection of the humps two years ago, accidents have not occurred at the spots. “It is agreed that the bumps did not conform with road safety standards but since their establishment, accidents have reduced and no accidents are recorded at the spots where they were built,” he said.

He said the FRSC will liaise with the ministry to modify the bumps to make them user friendly.

But while lamenting to this medium, a motorist who gave his name as Rabiu Ahmed, said that “the speed breakers that are all over the place have done much harm than good. Since they put these bumps on the road, I have been frequenting the mechanic’s place to either change my shock absorbers or have my bolt joints replaced. I think the new minister should look into the possibility of removing the speed bumps.”

Also making a case for the removal of the speed bumps, a commercial taxi driver, Sule Bunza, explained that “actually, the idea behind the speed bumps is a good one but the former minister got it wrong with the approach. These type of speed bumps is not good for vehicles because they can destroy the shock absorbers and the springs, instead, they should have used the conventional type that will not have any harmful effect on vehicles.”

But with the readiness of the new FCT minister to remove the speed bumps, it is yet to be seen.