By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja
The Kogi State Government has announced tougher traffic-control measures to prevent gridlock during the Ember months, warning motorists who violate traffic rules that they will face prosecution.
The measures include restrictions on articulated vehicles, joint enforcement patrols, mobile courts and increased monitoring of major highways as the state prepares for a surge in traffic during the festive season.
The Special Adviser to Governor Ahmed Ododo on Road Safety Matters and Chairman of the Kogi State Road Safety Council, Dr Suberu Yusuf John, disclosed this on Wednesday in Lokoja at a stakeholders’ meeting on traffic management and road safety.
Yusuf John said the government was working with security agencies and other stakeholders to keep traffic moving across the state, particularly on major highways expected to witness increased vehicular movement.
He said the government’s target was to ensure that no traveller was trapped on the road during the festive period.
According to him, articulated vehicles will be regulated on major routes, with authorities determining when they can operate in areas where their movement could worsen congestion.
He said a joint task force would be deployed to enforce traffic regulations, monitor trouble spots and respond quickly to emerging congestion.
The Special Adviser added that mobile courts and other enforcement mechanisms would be used against traffic offenders, while the media would be engaged to provide motorists with timely information on traffic conditions and safety directives.
Yusuf John warned motorists against deliberate violations of traffic regulations.
“If you don’t want to do Christmas in the Correctional Home, behave yourself while on the road,” he cautioned.
He said the measures followed Governor Ododo’s directive that no traveller should be left stranded on the road, assuring that the state would deploy the necessary resources to maintain free traffic flow throughout the Ember months.
Meanwhile, stakeholders at the meeting identified prolonged road closures by contractors, poor construction practices and driver indiscipline as major causes of recurring gridlock on Federal highways across Kogi.
The meeting focused particularly on the Abuja–Lokoja–Okene corridor, where officials reviewed existing traffic challenges and explored measures to prevent congestion and crashes as festive-season traffic increases.
In his welcome address, the Director-General, Government House Administration, Dr Shuaibu Umar Oricha, acknowledged the worsening traffic challenges and called for stronger collaboration among government agencies and other stakeholders.
The Kogi State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Corps Commander Lawan L. Fagge, said the final quarter of the year was traditionally challenging for road safety agencies because of increased human and vehicular movement.
Fagge said the Ember months should not be associated with death or evil, but should serve as a period for motorists to exercise greater caution because increased traffic without corresponding safety consciousness could lead to more crashes.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Federal Project Implementation, Engr. Obasi Emmanuel, blamed some of the congestion on the manner in which contractors handled road construction and rehabilitation works.
He said Federal Ministry of Works guidelines required contractors to limit road closures to about one or two kilometres at a time, but some contractors had allegedly closed several kilometres of highways, creating severe traffic bottlenecks.
Emmanuel also linked delays in some road projects to funding challenges, urging Federal authorities to pay certified contractors promptly and ensure construction equipment was properly managed, especially on stalled projects.
The Deputy Corridor Commander of the FRSC, Abraham Daniel, attributed some avoidable gridlocks to impatience and traffic violations by VIP and fleet drivers as well as other motorists.
He urged drivers to obey traffic-management personnel and avoid forcing their way through blocked routes.
Daniel specifically appealed to VIPs, their drivers, transport unions and commercial motorists to respect traffic regulations and plan their journeys properly.
He also urged construction companies to provide safe and properly maintained alternative routes whenever sections of highways were closed.
The Team Leader of the Koton-Karfe Military Base, Warrant Officer Sheikh Ibraheem, called for wider publicity on highway conditions to help motorists plan their journeys.
He also proposed restricting articulated vehicles to night operations and urged authorities to remove heavy-duty construction equipment abandoned on highways and obstructing traffic.