FCT: How to stop crashes at sloppy Dutsen-Tipper garage junction

The age-long road crashes on the sloppy Dutsen-Tipper garage junction, along the Dutse-Alhaji/Bwari highway in the Federal Capital Territory, have recently become a source of worry for the residents of the area and other motorists plying the ever-busy road.

Abuja Metro reports that several crashes had occurred at the junction, which majorly involved truck drivers, who often lost the control of their trailers and crashed into vehicles, tricycles and passengers that always stood at the junction.

The latest accidents occurred on April 5 and 7, which led to the death of five and two people respectively. Many people were also said to be injured with many vehicles and tricycles popularly called Keke-Napep destroyed.

Why the junction is prone to accidents-FRSC

The Federal Road Safety Corps in the area has attributed accidents to the sloppy nature of the road from Usuma Dam down to the junction.

The unit commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in charge of the Dutsen-Alhaji area, Luka Wuna Friday, while confirming the two latest accidents, attributed the accidents to brake failure while most of the vehicles, especially the trucks were descending the hill from the Usuma Dam.

He said in the process, the driver often lost control and crashed into the vehicles, tricycles and passengers at the junction.

According to him, several efforts and campaigns by the law enforcement agents to present motorists from staying at the junction had yielded no results.

A revenue agent with the Bwari Area Council operating at the junction, Anas Muazu, said most of the motorists that always cause accidents may not be aware of the road’s sloppy nature as well as the situation around the junction.

Also speaking, the secretary to the district head of the Dutse-Baupma community, Bulus Simon, said there were at least five road breakers constructed along the sloppy road lane to control speed to the junction but were all removed while they were rehabilitating the road and they were not replaced.

He said that was also making the drivers to speed to the junction.

He also blamed VIP convoys, who often drive against traffic at the junction, citing an example of how a native of the community was shot dead allegedly by a security convoy, during the last accident while rushing to beat traffic caused by the accident at the junction.

What needs to be done

Although, the FRSC has suggested outright ban on loading and picking of passengers around the junction, Comrade Ose Idasho, one of the leaders of the mining union operating with quarry firms in Bmuko, another community on the road, re-echoed the four solutions they arrived at during a meeting the FRSC in the area.

He said, “The first thing that we suggested is to erect many caution sign boards along the way starting right after Ushafa junction, that will enlighten drivers, especially the strangers about the nature of the road. The signboard can carry inscriptions like dangerous bend, sloppy road, slow down, many have gone, among others.

‘’Secondly, there should be many zebra crossing lines made with plastic that could equally serve as the road breakers which makes drivers remain awake and move slowly.

‘’All the shanties around the junction should be cleared, and let more space be created, with specific identified bus stops, to accommodate the people that operate by the road side.

‘’Traffic lights at the junction should be promptly repaired once they are bad malfunctioning. For example, the ones that lead toward the Bmuko community, are no longer functioning.

‘‘And lastly, the main suggestion is for a flyover bridge to be constructed around the junction, by the FCT Administration.’’