The Kaduna State Council of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has issued an urgent appeal to the Federal Government, calling for the swift construction and rehabilitation of dilapidated roads across the state.
The union warns that the sluggish pace of work is directly contributing to a continuous rise in road accidents, leading to significant loss of lives and property, particularly along the Abuja-Kaduna highway and the Western bypass in Kaduna.
Alhaji Hassan Ibrahim, the State Secretary of the NURTW, highlighted the critical situation in an interview with the press on Wednesday.
He expressed grave concern over the recurring road crashes, directly attributing them to the poor state of the roads.
“We want to appeal to the Federal Government to expedite action to compel the construction companies to complete the project as soon as possible so that motorists as well as commuters should not be subjected to this kind of hardship,” Ibrahim stated.
He vividly described the severe delays faced by travelers: “Passing Kaduna, somebody that started a journey from Abuja, spent two hours from Abuja to Kaduna, but he has to spend another two hours before he moved out from Kaduna, which is unfair.”
Ibrahim suggested that the slow progress, possibly influenced by the rainy season, is unacceptable given the high volume of vehicles traversing these critical routes.
The dire conditions have even forced some NURTW members, particularly those operating smaller vehicles, to relocate from Kaduna to work along the Zuba-Abuja road, resulting in revenue losses for the union.
Ibrahim explicitly labeled the Kaduna Western bypass as a “death trap,” confirming continuous accidents that lead to fatalities and property damage.
The union official urged the Federal Government to implement policies that would compel contractors to complete ongoing road projects promptly, especially considering the immense traffic volume these roads handle.
He recalled a major gridlock along the Jere-Kaduna highway after the Sallah festivity four weeks ago, which lasted over four hours, an incident they are desperate to prevent from reoccurring.
On a more positive note, Ibrahim lauded Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State for his initiative to centralize all motor parks within the state.
He highlighted that prior to this, numerous illegal motor parks operated in Kaduna, posing significant security risks.
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“When the Governor came on board, he noticed that the development had security implications and immediately directed that all illegal motor parks and loading points should relocate to the Mando mega motor park,” Ibrahim explained.
This centralization has brought about substantial improvements. All transport unions now cohabitate at the Mando mega motor park, leading to more orderly loading and offloading procedures.
This has, in turn, boosted revenue generation for both the government and the union. Crucially, security has significantly improved. Ibrahim noted that issues like “one chance” robberies, where unsuspecting passengers were victimized by unknown operators, have drastically reduced.
“On the highways also, I will like to commend the governor for his bold initiative by bringing sanity because now, you can travel from any exit including; Kaduna-Birnin Gwari, Kaduna-Jos, Kaduna-Abuja, and Kafanchan at any time without any fear,” he added.
Ibrahim assured both the state government and security agencies of the union’s continued partnership and cooperation.
He urged the public and intending travelers to always patronize designated motor parks, avoid boarding vehicles along roadsides, and ensure they fill out passenger manifests during transit for their safety.