Abia State Government has reinstated the previous directives restricting the movement of heavy duty vehicles within Aba and Umuahia metropolis, between the hours of 7.00am and 8.00pm with immediate effect.
This is to ensure safety of road users and ease traffic on major roads, expecially in the morning hours and in the evening.
Dodoh Okafor, senior special assistant to Abia State Governor on public communication in a statement, made available to BusinessDay, stated that the State Government will work with all relevant stakeholders over the next few days to identify suitable parks within the two cities, where affected vehicles can park and wait until the appropriate time when they can move without constituting a threat to the safety of other road users.
Government urged security agents in the State to ensure full compliance to the directive.
Okafor described as unfortunate the accident that occurred at the Waterside Bridge Ogbor Hill, Tuesday , which led to the death of one person and injured many
He said that the State Government will soon unvail new measures at improving public safety on Abia roads.
He extended government’s heartfelt sympathies to the families and relatives of the victims and prayed for the peaceful repose of the soul of the deceased and quick restoration to health for the injured.
He said that Abia State Government under the leadership of Alex Otti, has set appropriate machineries in motion for identifying, and reaching out to the families of the victims to sympathise with, and offer all necessary support to them.
He said that the Governor has assured that the State Government would stand by the victims and their families during these difficult times and would do everything within its powers to lessen the burden on all affected by this regrettable tragedy.
Okafor said that the State Government, through its various agencies and parastatals, would carry out a detailed investigation to identify the immediate and remote causes of this most recent accident at the Waterside Bridge and seek the input of all concerned stakeholders to improve safety records along that particular stretch of the road, as well as all other public roads in the state.
In the light of its preliminary findings, Okafor said that a few initiatives to promote the safety of the public across all roads in the state would go into effect immediately.
One of such measures according to him, shall be the setting up of a taskforce, which shall work on a 24-hour basis, everyday, in Aba and Umuahia with a direct mandate to remove all damaged or immovable vehicles on the road, as quickly as a report is received.
“This shall apply to heavy duty, commercial and private vehicles. The cost of removing such vehicles shall be borne by the owners. More details shall be made available soon”.
He explained that the taskforce shall also work to ensure that all container-laden trucks coming into the State meet relevant safety standards and do not constitute a threat to the safety of Abians, noting that those found in violation of standard regulations on the management and safety of containers-in-transit, shall be made to face the full wrath of the law.
The Abia State Ministry of Transport and other relevant agencies of the Government have been equally directed to immediately activate all existing vehicle road worthiness and safety policies and enforce the laws as may be necessary to ensure safety on our roads, especially as the yuletide approaches.
This is as the State Government has also directed that all transport unions in the State must immediately initiate safety trainings for their members. “We expect all the transport unions and associations in the State to comply with this directive”.
He assured Abians of the commitment of Government to public safety, particularly on the roads.
He said that the ongoing road rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts in all parts of the State, especially in the urban areas, bear eloquent testimonies to its determination to make the State roads safe for users, saying that more will be done in the weeks ahead as Governor Otti,, works to achieve his zero-potholes policy on major roads in the state, importantly in the heavy traffic zones.
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