Delta committed to FG’s road safety strategy – Uduaghan

The Commissioner for Transport in Delta, Mr Vincent Uduaghan, has said that the state government was committed to the successful implementation of the Nigeria Road Safety Strategy (NRSS).

Uduaghan stated this in an interview with our reporter in Abuja, at the backdrop of the recent inauguration of the Technical Working Group (TWG) of the National Road Safety Advisory Council (NARSAC).

Delta represents South-South in the 24-member NARSAC charged with the responsibility of implementing the NRSS and it is chaired by the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.

The NRSS is a platform for an integrated national approach toward reduction of incessant deaths, serious injuries and damage to property arising from road accidents.

Among other objectives, it is targeting a 35-per-cent reduction in road accident fatalities by 2018 in line with the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety (2011-2020).

The TWG with members drawn from the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and state vehicle administration and traffic management agencies, among other bodies, will execute the NRSS on behalf of NARSAC.

Each member of the group is assigned specific roles and responsibilities which demand their commitment for the overall objective of the NRSS to be realised.

Uduaghan said, “you can’t toy with human lives, which are wasted in avoidable road accidents across the country on daily basis.

“I am assuring the Federal Government and Deltans of the state government’s commitment to its responsibilities in this project for safer roads in Delta and the nation at large.”

He also disclosed plans to expand the operations of the Delta State Traffic Management Authority (DESTMA) to across the state.

DESTMA, which was inaugurated by Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa in April, 2016, currently operates in Asaba, Warri, Effurun and Ughelli.

Modelled after the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA), it primarily checks gridlocks in major towns of the state.

“I must commend the effort of the governor who approved the setting up of DESTMA, whose pilot phase in Asaba, Warri and Ughelli has done very well in policy coordination and traffic management and control.

“We will soon expand its operations to other parts of the state, and the NRSS is a good platform to strength our collaboration with FRSC and other stakeholders for safer roads in Delta,’’ Uduaghan added.