Lawmakers vote in favour of removal of speed bumps on federal roads

dimeji akinloye

October 4, 2017 8:11 AM

The lawmakers also asked Fashola's ministry to enforce compliance with speed limits and to ensure owners of petrol stations build service lanes of not less than 50 metres.

The Senate has directed the Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, headed by

The upper chamber also asked the ministry to ensure owners of petrol stations build service lanes of not less than 50 metres on both sides of their stations to prevent customers from turning directly to and from the highways.

The directives were issued after the Senate adopted a motion jointly moved by Senator Barnabas Gemade of Benue North-East and Senator Stella Oduah of Anambra-North at the plenary on Tuesday, October 3.

The motion is titled 'Urgent need to control the indiscriminate erection of speed bumps on federal roads nationwide.'

The lawmakers asked the ministry to enforce the setback regulations for fixed structures along highways and urged the planning authority to implement regulations for motor parks, markets and places of worship.

In the motion, Senator Barnabas Gemade said, "The Senate observes that these bumps are indiscriminately erected in several communities, villages, hamlets, near petrol stations, markets, roadside bukas and even individual homes.

"The Senate is aware that there is the need for speed control on our high ways to avoid speeding by motorists, especially around hospitals and schools. Interestingly, the Federal Road Safety Corps has introduced a speed control device to be installed in commercial vehicles, which took effect two months ago.

"The Senate believes that federal highways are meant for smooth traffic flow and there should be no constraints restricting the free flow of traffic; it is aware that these speed bumps now constitute nuisance source other than serve any useful purpose whatsoever."

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However, despite opposing views from some senators, including the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who warned that removing speed bumps on highways may increase death rates, a majority of the lawmakers still voted in favour of the removal.

dimeji akinloye