Leadership (Abuja)
Comfort Onche
2 November 2009
For many of those who expressway, the fear of the Mararaba-Kugbo-AYA section of the road is the beginning of wisdom.
This is due to the fact that almost on a daily basis, an intimidating snail-like traffic (popularly called "go-slow") is witnessed on the road, with dangerous consequences.
This, according to investigation, is due to the fact that the high, long and twisting nature of the road which is virtually on top hills, makes the place dangerous.
For instance, last week Tuesday, a trailer while trying to climb the hill, had a break failure and it rolled back, and caused a serious accident, killing more than eight people at a spot.
In the same vein, on the same day, at the same spot, another vehicle (tipper) caused another accident, which also claimed three lives. Shortly after that, at Mararaba, a woman who was on labour pain, and was going to hospital because of the hold-up, gave birth to a baby inside the vehicle.
Drivers and commuters interviewed by LEADERSHIP, suggested that to overcome the problem of hold-up on the road, government should construct another road that will start from Mararaba down to AYA.
A commercial bus driver, Uche Oyema, said. "I am fade up with this hold-up on a daily basis on this road, almost everyday on this very Abuja-Keffi expressway, I witness one incident or the other. If my car does not break down at Kugbo, I will borne out almost all the fuel in my bus. There was a day I was trying to move backward to create a chance for another vehicle but I mistakenly hit another vehicle which was behind me."
He added: "This caused a big trouble between me and the driver, at the end I paid him N10,000 to repair his car. Government should do something fast, let another road be constructed fast."
A civil servant Christopher Idiku, said: "Every day, I woke by 5:30pm to beat the traffic jam but it was all in vein. My car spoilt more than three times in a month because of the so-called endless "go-slow." Imagine a big city like Abuja, how could it be that one road will lead to the city, with the population of people going to work from Keffi, Mararaba, Karu and Nyanya."The congestion on the road is caused by one entrance to the city. I am appealing to the Federal Government to award another road contract fast," he said.
A commuter who is a resident of Masaka, work in less than N300 on transport fare on a daily basis, all because of "go-slow."
Normally, the transport fare is supposed to be N200, but at the early hour of the day drivers claim that they spend so much time on the hold-up, using that excuse to punish us by increasing the fare."We are suffering too much here, how much is my salary, I spent money than what I earn in a month. We need a solution to this problem of hold-up fast," he added.
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