FRSC OFFICER PROPOSES ROAD SAFETY PROGRAMME AS CRASHES RAISE CONCERN IN JALINGO
A Road Safety officer and indigene of Taraba State, Deputy Route Commander BJ Simon, has called on the Taraba State Government to introduce a comprehensive road safety programme to address road traffic crashes in Jalingo and other parts of the state.
Simon, who serves as Head of the Corps Safety Engineering and Network, COSEN, Department at the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Epe Unit Command in Lagos State, made the recommendation following concerns over recent road crashes in Jalingo, particularly around the Mile Six axis.
In an open letter to the state government, the officer said he used part of his annual leave to personally assess the Mile Six corridor, walking from Mile Six Market to the Catholic Pastoral Centre to examine the road layout, traffic flow, pedestrian movement and roadside activities.
Following his assessment, Simon proposed the establishment of a “Taraba Sustainable Road Safety Programme,” TSRSP, which he said could provide a coordinated approach to reducing crashes, deaths and serious injuries.
Among his recommendations is the creation of 30 kilometres-per-hour safety zones around markets, schools, hospitals, residential areas, worship centres and other locations with heavy pedestrian movement.
He advocated engineering measures including speed humps, raised pedestrian crossings, road narrowing, mini-roundabouts, pedestrian walkways and improved road markings to discourage speeding.
Simon also recommended that roads in Jalingo be classified according to their functions as through roads, distributor roads and access roads to reduce conflicts between pedestrians, motorcycles, tricycles, trucks and high-speed vehicles.
The FRSC officer further called for the introduction of what he described as “forgiving roads,” where dangerous roadside objects are removed, road shoulders improved and crash barriers installed to reduce the severity of accidents when motorists lose control.
He urged the state government to establish a High-Risk Junctions Programme, working with the FRSC to use crash data to identify dangerous intersections requiring urgent engineering intervention.
Simon also proposed a “Safer Corridor” pilot project combining road engineering and enforcement to tackle speeding, one-way violations and dangerous overtaking on identified high-risk routes.
According to him, adopting a modern Safe System Approach would help the government move beyond responding to crashes after they occur towards preventing deaths and serious injuries through safer road design, enforcement and traffic management.
He commended the Taraba State Government and relevant agencies for existing road safety efforts, while stressing that continuous assessment and improvement were necessary to protect lives across Jalingo and the state.
