The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has commenced road safety audit and accident investigation on the Akwanga-Lafia highway, Mr. Boboye Oyeyemi, the Corps Marshal has said.
Oyeyemi, who spoke in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Wednesday, said that the audit was to methodically examine the road.
He said that as the lead agency in road safety management and traffic administration in the country, it was part the corps’ statutory responsibility to play an advisory role to government on safety on roads.
Oyeyemi said that one of such advisory roles was achieved through the instrumentality of road audit.
“The topography of the Akwanga-Lafia highway is what is causing the crashes. Most of the crashes occur at slopes,” he said.
He explained that road audit was a careful, complete and methodical examination and review of roads with the aim of identifying areas that needed government’s attention for possible solutions.
READ ALSO: Tottenham’s Pochettino calls for togetherness after Bayern rout
“This is targeted at identifying infrastructural deficiencies for necessary recommendations to the Federal Government for actions that will help secure the safety of lives and property of all road users.
“The corps in its structural set up has to itself an office with trained and certified engineers that are solely responsible for systematically studying and reviewing the highways.
“This is with particular interest in identifying black spots, crash prone areas and locations that need road infrastructure like road signs and markings, spots with potholes among others.”
He explained that these variables would then be further analysed and necessary recommendations forwarded to agencies including the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing and Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) for necessary actions.
The corps marshal, however, said that he would not want to pre-empt the outcome of the road safety audit being done, adding that there were some efforts going on at the Federal Ministry of Works in this area.
“So when we finish, we will submit the report and we will let you know what we have recommended like we have always been doing on the road safety audit and accident investigation.”
NAN reports that the FRSC Nasarawa command recently confirmed a ghastly accident involving three vehicles which occurred on the Akwanga-Lafia highway and claimed the lives of 13 persons. (NAN)
