The Nation Newspaper

Tag: traffic lights

  • Solar-powered traffic lights flood Abuja

    Despite its wide roads, Abuja’s headache has always been its ‘maddening’ traffic. Whether in the city centre or satellite towns, gridlock is a common sight. But the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has unveiled some traffic signal innovations that may sanitise traffic in the city, writes GBENGA OMOKHUNU.

    Abuja was created as the nation’s capital 40 years ago on February 4, 1976. On December 12, 1991, former military president Gen. Ibrahim Babangida  moved the seat of government from Lagos to Abuja.

    Abuja is divided into two parts. The territory comprises 8,000 square kilometres: 250 square kilometres of this is the Federal Capital City (FCT), which includes Garki, Maitama and Asokoro.

    The remaining portion is made up of satellite towns where about 70 per cent of the residents live.

    Before now, traffic had been a bit easy round the city centre, but the FCT began to witness greater influx of settlers, which posed some challenges to motorists and commuters.

    Though as a planned capital, Abuja lacked nothing in planning and the development of a sustainable transportation system. Traffic signalisation, one of the innovations to make commuting from one part of the city to the other easy, began to witness some challenges as most of the traffic lights became dysfunctional, a situation that was worsened by epileptic power supply.

    Two worlds

    Although the highbrow areas of the city are a bit better, traffic lights are a rarity in most satellite towns and where they existed, they were mere decorations on the highway. The poles in most places were either vandalised by hoodlums or had been uprooted by careless motorists, who frequently ran into them.

    Dysfunctional traffic lights impede free flow of traffic in the city, and, in many cases, result in accidents and loss of lives. Traffic signals are electrically operated devices that alternately direct traffic to stop and or proceed.

    There are 168 traffic light intersections in the FCT, but about two-third of them are derelict as criminals vandalise their key components and dispose them off in the market.

    One of such areas where the traffic lamps have become a luxury is the Ahmadu Bello Way. About 90 per cent of the traffic lamps installed on major junctions on this road are inactive.

    The 4.6-kilometre-long road is strategic as it runs from Apo in the southwest area of Abuja through the Federal Secretariat, down to Wuse 2.

    Roads like Herbert Macaulay, Yakubu Gowon Crescent, Tafawa Balewa, some sections of Obafemi Awolowo Road to the Northwest of the FCT, experience similar situations. Several inner roads that serve as arteries to the major roads do not fare better.

    Lease of life

    Determined to change the narratives and make Abuja roads friendly again, the FCTA saw the need to fix the dysfunctional traffic lights in the nation’s capital.

    The FCT Minister, Muhammadu Bello’s led administration has procured several solar powered traffic lights to serve the capital city.

    He disclosed that the FCTA procured traffic lights powered by solar panels to serve all intersections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

    After a tour of some of the installed solar panels traffic lights, the Secretary, FCTA Transport Secretariat, Comrade Kayode Opeifa, in an interview, explained that the administration had opted for solar panel for traffic lights because it is more durable, cheaper, cleaner and more environmentally friendly.

    Some of the places, which now have solar traffic lights are, Finance junction, National Assembly junction, and almost all the zones in the FCT.

    Opeifa said: “We have opted for solar-panelled traffic lights for our major junctions, because we believe that, even though it is  more expensive, is easier and cleaner. It is also durable and its the way to go.”

    The transportation Secretary further disclosed that about 12 junctions in the city centre have so far been connected with the solar-panel traffic lights, while efforts are being made to connect other junctions.

    He also disclosed that cases of vandalisation of traffic lights facilities in the city centre have reduced because of the initiative taken by the secretariat to curb vandals menace.

    According to the secretary, the secretariat has made it more difficult for vandals to remove traffic light facilities, adding that in the last six months, no case of traffic light vandalism has been recorded. He said the traffic light would greatly improve traffic distribution and improve travel time by motorists in the FCT.

    Advantages

    According to its page on signal, operations and maintenance, www.cityofirvine.org, traffic signals offer maximum control at intersections. “They (the signals) relay messages of both what to do and what not to do. The primary function of any traffic signal is to assign right-of-way to conflicting movements of traffic at an intersection. This is done by permitting conflicting streams of traffic to share the same intersection by means of time separation. By alternately assigning right of way to various traffic movements, signals provide for the orderly movement of conflicting flows. They may interrupt extremely heavy flows to permit the crossing of minor movements that could not otherwise move safely through an intersection,” the website said.

    When properly timed, a traffic signal increases the traffic handling capacity of any intersection, and when installed under conditions that justify its use, a signal is a valuable device for improving the safety and efficiency of both pedestrian and vehicular traffic. In particular, signals may reduce certain types of accidents, most notably right-angle (broadside) collisions.

    While many people realise that traffic signals can reduce the number of right-angle collisions at an intersection, a few realised that signals can also cause a significant increase in rear-end collisions. Normally, traffic engineers are willing to accept an increase in rear-end collisions for a decrease in the more severe right-angle accidents.

    However, when there is no right-angle accident problem at an intersection, and a signal is not needed for traffic control, the installation of traffic signals can actually cause deterioration in the overall safety at an intersection. Traffic signals are not a “cure-all” for traffic problems. The primary goal of the traffic engineer is to attain the safest and most efficient overall traffic flow possible. In addition to an increase in rear-end accident frequency, unjustified traffic signals can also cause excessive delay, disobedience of signals, and diversion of traffic to residential streets.

    Robbery on the red

    But while the FCTA might be mindful of improving the traffic bottleneck in the Federal Capital metropolis, residents are saying the move might pose more dangers to their safety. Several residents have had close shaves with robbers, who have attacked them at intervals of traffic sign stoppage.

    In a report by Pulse.ng three years ago, robbers in Abuja  seemed to be taking advantage of traffic light to wreak havoc on their victims. According to the report, traffic robbery has risen sharply with increased traffic signal lights on many junctions in the city.

    “When next you are at a traffic light intersection, you might want to be careful,” a motorist Aliyu Hajara, who was robbed as he waited for the green light to turn on at a junction in Maitama said.

    Another victim had all her property, money and mobile phones stolen at another junction within the city in similar circumstances. Their experiences informed calls by residents for adequate security network to be put in place by the FCTA to ensure residents’ safety of lives and property, just as it attempted to boldly address the transportation challenge making life hellish for the people.

    Opeifa, responding to the security breaches, assured that the FCTA is aware of the several cases of residents, being attacked by armed robbers in the Abuja metropolis, adding that this, however, will not stop the FCTA to continue to grapple with how to resolve the transportation challenges of the FCT.

    A comprehensive security overhaul, he said, is in the offing at the FCT, which will further strengthen security in the FCT. According to him, “the traffic situation in the FCT has become so predictably heavy that a sustainable solution such as the introduction of more traffic signal lights seemed the only away.

  • Enugu to secure traffic lights with N23m

    The Enugu State government is to spend N23 million to build and install underground vandal-proof controller panel protection to forestall activities of hoodlums who vandalise equipment that power traffic lights within the metropolis.

    The decision was taken at the State Executive Council meeting.

    The government said hoodlums were vandalising vital components controlling the traffic lights, noting that some vandals were arrested and prosecuted.

    Commissioner for Information Godwin Udeuhele said the council approved N200 million, in addition to the N100 million previously paid to the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC), to settle the government’s indebtedness to the establishment, (most of which was inherited from previous administrations), pending the outcome of account reconciliation by a joint committee of the government and EEDC.

    The council also okayed a N10 million rolling plan, with an initial installment of N5 million, for community development initiatives in the 450 autonomous communities, to boost rural development and encourage community participation in infrastructural development.

  • Enugu govt earmarks N23 million for traffic lights restoration

    Determined to ensure the effective operation of traffic lights in Enugu State, the state government has approved N23,584,224.00 for the building and installation of underground vandal-proof controller panel protection to forestall the ugly activities of hoodlums who had been vandalizing and stealing vital equipment that power traffic lights within the metropolis.

    The action was part of the decisions taken at the State Executive Council meeting held at the EXCO Chambers, Government House, Enugu.

    The state government had earlier raised the alarm that hoodlums were vandalizing and stealing the vital components that control the traffic lights in the state, leading to their malfunctioning.

    It noted that some vandals had been arrested and charged to courts for prosecution.

    The council according to the Commissioner for Information, Dr. Godwin Udeuhele also approved the sum of N200m in addition to the N100m previously paid to the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) as part settlement of the government’s indebtedness to the establishment, (most of which was inherited from the past administrations) pending the outcome of account reconciliation by a joint committee of the state government and EEDC.

    EEDC has been using estimated billing for the government and its establishments since it commenced operation, hence the need to reconcile the amount to be paid finally in the spirit of accountability and prudence.

    Udeuhele also said the council equally approved N10m rolling plan, with an initial installment of N5m this year for community development initiatives in each of the 450 autonomous communities in the state to boost rural development and encourage community participation in infrastructural development.

  • Enugu: vandals destroying our traffic lights

    The Enugu State Government has raised the alarm that hoodlums have been vandalizing vital components that control traffic lights in Enugu metropolis, calling on residents to be vigilant and report any suspicious movement around the equipment’s vicinity to law enforcement agencies.

    In a statement by the Commissioner for Transport, Mr. Vitus Okechi, the government explained that the malfunction of the traffic lights in some location was due to vandalism by hoodlums, assuring the public that the unfortunate incident is temporary as arrangements are being made to restore the lights to perfect working condition.

    Okechi noted that the ugly activities of the vandals which include carting away of the control system batteries, cables and other sensitive equipment during night hours, had been consistent even when adequate security measures were provided to secure the equipment in different locations.

    He stated that the alarm became necessary in view of the need to explain to the public especially road users the cause of the temporary shutdown of the traffic lights in the affected locations.

    The commissioner equally explained that the security agencies had arrested some vandals and charged them to court for prosecution, stressing that the law will take its course.

    Okechi added that the explanation would also cause the motorists to appreciate the predicament of the government in maintaining the operation of traffic lights in the state, despite the current economic challenges in the country.

    He stated that the vandalized equipment had cost the state government a huge amount of money to restore, saying that notwithstanding the untoward experience being encountered in the hands of the hoodlums, the state government remains committed to its vision of seamless operation of traffic lights in the state for the safety and convenience of road users.

  • Ogun installs traffic lights

    In its bid to further promote safer motoring and free flow of traffic in Ogun State, the state Bureau of Transportation has said that apart from aesthetically beautifying the roads, it has started the installation of traffic control lights in all the major roads and cities across the state in order to promote modern, efficient and effective transportation in the state.

    The Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Barr. Gbenga Opesanwo, made this assertion while fielding questions from journalists in Abeokuta, reiterating that the state government would not relent in its efforts towards providing effective road network to allow economic development thrive in the state.

    Opesanwo said that it was imperative to install the traffic light as the influx of investors in the state  tremendously increased the volume of motors and articulated vehicles plying the roads, so that state resolved to control the traffic congestion through the installation of the traffic control lights.

    He warned that reckless drivers and public infrastructure vandals in the state would face the full wrath of the law when apprehended, urging road users to limit their speed and maintain the traffic facilities being installed by the state for avoidance of traffic crashes.

    “We are appealing to the drivers in the state to limit their speed and obey the traffic light because it was not installed for beautification but to avoid collusion and accident, and if any public vandal was apprehended with these installed traffic light will be dealt with according to the rule of law,” Opesanwo said.

  • Questions over conflicting traffic lights

    Questions over conflicting traffic lights

    For a territory known for its reckless drivers, the installation of traffic lights was welcome. But the lights also have problems, reports GBENGA OMOKHUNU 

    The first issue may well be why the N861m project took off only weeks to the end of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Muhammed administration. Then, consider also that the traffic lights have been causing all sorts of problems for drivers, many of who are notoriously reckless. Rather than stop one stream of traffic and okay another to proceed, for instance, the lights sometimes indicate that everyone should go at the same time.

    Before now, most traffic lights in Abuja were not functional, a situation that was worsened by the epileptic power supply. The highbrow areas of the city were a bit better. In most satellite towns, there are no traffic lights, and where they existed, they were mere decorations on the highway. The poles in most places were either vandalised by hoodlums or pulled down by careless motorists.

    A few months ago, over 74 traffic lights were suddenly installed by the FCT administration. Why did the FCT Minister wait till the last minute before putting the lights in place?

    When the project started a few months back, controversies followed the exercise. Many viewed the action of the authorities of Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to provide infrastructural facilities in the FCT in the twilight of the administration’s tenure, as a last minute bid to cover up its tracks.

    The residents said the FCT administration started the installation of the traffic lights as part of efforts to hurriedly complete some abandoned projects before the May 29 handover date, adding that the administration was only trying to mop up funds before the change of guards.

    Senator Mohammed hurriedly issued a statement saying that the installation of the new traffic lights was a collaborative project with the Chinese government and that its cost was N861m.

    Bala said the contract was packaged in 2012 by the National Planning Commission as a collaborative project between Nigeria and China, explaining that while China funded the contract with N780 million, Nigeria provided N81m as counterpart fund.

    He described the allegation that the project was aimed at siphoning funds as a campaign of calumny and mischief against his administration.

    Bala said: “Of course, China is bearing the whole cost of the project at the cost of N780m and as usual, with this collaborative project; they nominated the contractor, which is doing the project from China. The only thing we’ve done is to make sure that we provide the counterpart funding for the project totaling about N81m that we’ve provided as a territory and the supervision.

    “So, it’s not true, it’s deceptive and it’s misleading for anybody to think that something that we’re getting as a collaborative and multilateral assistance is something we’ve conceptualized as a last-minute bid of a project for us to go away with. This is a project I believe the incoming administration should be very happy with.”

    Bala said he was not afraid of any probe by the incoming government of General Muhammadu Buhari, saying he was ready to account for all his actions within the last five years.

    The minister also stated that he had documents and records to account for his deeds.

    Even though the minister tried to pacify the people and clarify that the installation and rehabilitation of the traffic lights were not an attempt to complete an abandoned project, many questions were left unanswered.

    For instance, why would the FCTA authorities embark on such a project few weeks to the expiration of the administration?

    Many residents are complaining of the conflicting functions of the traffic lights.

    Chukwudi, a motorist said: “The new traffic lights are causing a lot of gridlock, especially during rush hours. Most of them were not properly situated. Where is the wisdom in putting about three traffic lights on a street? For example, Mississippi Street in Maitama, has about four traffic lights. The traffic situation there coupled with the many intersections can only be imagined.

    His words, “it is a good development, these set of lights are good; those on the pedestrian can cross without fear because the traffic lights have stopped the cars; just that Nigerians are not patient enough, you’ll see some of them still bypassing the traffic lights and it’s quite absurd. The timing is also funny because it seems the contractors were just waiting for the outcome of the elections and now that Jonathan was unable to return, they just want to rush up everything so they could get their pay, that’s the scenario I see. This is something that should have been done before now, street lights should not only be built in Abuja, what is happening in the other 36 states, when you travel out you see street lights too everywhere.

    Speaking at a parley with newsmen on the FCT Transport Secretariat policy trust, the FCT Director of Traffic Management Department, Vincent Igberaese, acknowledged that up till now the contractors that handled the installation of the traffic light projects have not been paid hence the reason for the malfunctioning.

    Igberaese said: “All the areas that do not have traffic lights were discovered later that they are suppose to have traffic lights. The problem we are having with the traffic lights is that Nigerians are not patient. Putting traffic light at all junctions is very important. We are studying the situation, we are still working. It is appropriate that once you meet a red light whether there is a vehicle coming or not or the road is free or not you are expected to wait until it gives you a green light before you go. Even when the red light is still on you will still see people going against the traffic rule and blocking other people that are suppose to pass. These are some of the reasons why we are having problems with the traffic light.

    “Traffic light is to ease movement but it is creating more problem for us because of the way we are using it. I agree that some of the traffic lights are giving conflicting signal. As a department we have set up a maintenance team that goes round to look at all these problems and rectify them but the main problem we have as a department is that some of the traffic lights were constructed be contractors and up till now they have not been paid and they have not handed over to us. It is known that prior to this time we have never had a maintenance unit, maintenance of traffic light was done on a performance contract basis. The companies do not want to do maintenance due to the issue of payment.”

    He also disclosed that again, the Federal Capital Territory Administration has reiterated that the ‘Park and Pay’ scheme which was suspended in April last year after several court cases nullified the establishment of the scheme will still take off in Abuja better than it was.

    This is as a result of the indiscriminate ways of parking by the motorists in Abuja.

    He said “the Parking and pay was suspended but it will come back on the streets because if you look around now, we park indiscriminately. I am sorry to say that we are not doing what we are supposed to do for a city like Abuja.”

    Speaking also was the Director of Directorates of Road Traffic Services (DTRS) otherwise known as VIO, Abdullahi Danjuma, who said, the traffic laws of the city must be adhered to.

    He urge residents to cooperate with the traffic agencies to sanitise the city.

    According to him, the administration has so far tested 8, 000 vehicles through the computerised vehicle testing center.

    He added that six additional licencing centres have been added to the Mabushi and Secretariat centres for better service delivery across the federal capital city.

    He said: “We have made the registration of vehicles seamless, less than 48 hours”.

     

  • ‘Police should protect traffic lights’

    Residents of Kubwa satellite town in Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have appealed to the leadership of the council to deploy Policemen at various traffic light junctions in the satellite town, in order to enforce obedience of traffic rules and the control of the light.

    Speaking with Abuja Review, some residents who expressed gratitude to the FCT administration for mounting the traffic lights on major junctions in the town, said that the light would have served it purpose of effectively controlling accidents, if motorists religiously obey the light.

    One of the residents, Mr. Solomon Dede explained that most of the motorists do not obey the traffic light when they get to the junctions, that such attitude has led to numerous accidents in the town.

    “I have witnessed a situation here, where an okada man who obeyed the traffic light was about to cross one junction to another, in the process of doing that, he did not notice an on coming vehicle who did not obey the traffic light, that was how they collided and the okada man broke his legs in the process.

    “Another one happened some time ago, when an okada man failed to obey the traffic light and had a collision with another okada man. The accident was fatal, because both of them were on high speed to beat the traffic light. These reckless drivers are not making the light to serve it purposes,” he said.

    Another resident, Mrs. Cynthis Onukogu said that the best way to make motorists in the town to obey the traffic rules is to place Police on each traffic light, so as to make sure that the motorists obey the rules.

    “Nigerians need strong hands some times to make them do what is right. I know that if our motorists see Policemen by traffic light, they will control themselves and obey traffic rules. Because, the way they beat traffic lights, it is more dangerous than when there were no traffic lights. The authority in charge should help us,” she said.