JayFM News Commentary: Plateau State Government Should no Longer Delay Alternative Routes for Trailers in Jos city

Plateau state government should no longer delay alternative routes for trailers in Jos city . This forms the basis of today’s News Commentary as written by our News and Current Affairs Department of Jay FM.

It is now common in Jos city centre to hear of too many people being injured and in some cases dead, or many others who sustained injuries being taken to the hospital due to avoidable accidents involving trailers within the metropolis.

Within the past two weeks, more than 15 cars were confirmed to have been damaged while many of the occupants sustained injuries in separate road accidents involving tanker lories.

This is troubling considering that Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau state had on several occasions promised to regulate the movement of heavy-duty vehicles within the state capital and possibly provide them with alternate routes

For drivers of articulated vehicles and other reckless road users to see the imperative of safeguarding the lives of the citizens, it must go beyond merely reacting to tragedies

Preventing accidents must take priority over rhetorics.

There must be enforced on the state government pronouncement to restrict the movement of trailers into the city centre during day time and increased regulatory supervision, and development of the transport system within the Jos city centre to avoid frequent accidents on the roads.

The recent multiple road traffic crashes which occurred at about 12:00 pm by the gate of Hillcrest School Jos were particularly tragic.

Sources from the state Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps in Jos said the crash occurred as a result of a trailer driver who failed to observe recommended maximum speed limit.

He said as the trailer was descending from the Secretariat Junction Flyover, the driver drove and ran into seven other moving vehicles while several people who were injured as a result of the crash were taken to the Plateau State Specialist Hospital for medical attention.

A few days before the incident at the Secretariat Junction Flyover, another trailer sent shivers into the neighbourhood within Jankwano after it crashed into a nearby church compound. Thankfully, the worship session was not in progress at the time of the incident.

The development, no doubt, is a recipe for tragedy and a serious indictment on the state government and its regulatory agencies.

Achieving an organized transport network for tanker drivers within Jos city is not rocket science; what is missing is the political will and investment in seeing through the projects.

Putting traffic signs and erecting bumps on the roads have proven not enough to prevent accidents involving trailers. It’s time for the government to provide alternative designated routes for them and enforce the restriction of their movements within the Jos city centre during day time.

. It must become a serious offence for any trailer not to use the designated roads assigned to them.

Both the driver and other occupants including the owner of the vehicle who risks their lives and the lives of other citizens by not using their designated roads should face heavy penalties.

Plateau state government must not continue to look the other way but take immediate action to prevent more accidents involving trailers and other articulated vehicles in the city of Jos