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THE Kaduna State Government has reassured its commitment to entrenching sustainable road safety culture for the welfare and wellbeing of road users.
The Commissioner for Public Works and Infrastructure, Hajiya Balaraba Aliyu, gave the assurance at a joint press conference to commemorate the 2021 United Nations 6th Global Road Safety Week, on Wednesday in Kaduna.
Aliyu said the state government had approved the establishment of the Kaduna State Advisory Council to serve as a policy-making body on road safety matters in the state.
She maintained that the state has always been in the forefront of promoting road safety, and had established the Kaduna State Traffic and Environmental Law Enforcement Agency (KASTLEA) for efficient enforcement of road traffic law.
She said the agency currently has approximately 1,500 marshals and plans to expand the number to 5,000.
Aliyu said the state has also embarked on urban renewal projects that involve the renovation, rehabilitation, and reconstruction of roads, culverts, and bridges across the state.
She said the projects were “for safety, the comfort of road users and commuters to meet the UN global decade of action on road safety.”
The commissioner added that the state had also established Kaduna State Transport Regulatory Authority to coordinate and manage traffic usage of commercial operators.
“The risk of death and injury reduces considerably when speed is lowered,” she noted.
The commissioner commended the Federal Road Safety Corps and KASTLEA for their sustained efforts towards road safety management across the state.
Also, the Sector Commander, FRSC Kaduna State, Mr Hafiz Muhammad said they will embark on advocacy visits to relevant stakeholders and policymakers to attract stronger collaboration on road safety management.
Muhammad said there will be media programs and rallies in motor parks to further create awareness on the dangers of excessive speed by motorists.
According to him, within the week, the Road Safety Wives Association (ROSOWA) will be visiting hospitals to identify victims of road traffic crashes.
“In addition to Juma’at and Church Services on Friday and Sunday respectively with the aim of sensitizing the general public on dangers of over speeding.
He said they will also enforce the speed limits in towns and major highways in the state.(NAN)
– May 19, 2021 @ 17:52 GMT
