FCT: Newly Installed Traffic Lights Can Detect Violators

Traffic Lights are important road infrastructure that allows free flow of traffic in the correct direction.

Hence a functional traffic light will prevent traffic congestion, and promote safety on roads.

Correspondent Remi Johnson who writes on the ongoing installation of traffic lights in the FCT, says most traffic lights are now functioning optimally since the arrival of the new FCT Minister, Chief Nyesom Wike.

Traffic lights apart from enhancing seamless movement, minimizes accidents and less insurance claims if motorists obey the traffic rules.

In the city center of Abuja, there are already 96 traffic light junctions, while 98 others are currently being installed across the City Center and some satellite towns, which is an intervention project from the Chinese Government.

One of the features of the ongoing FCT traffic lights installation that makes it unique is that it has an in-built red camera that can detect how many times a particular vehicle violates the traffic rules when activated.

This calls for caution by motorists because you never can tell when the red in-built cameras are activated.

One of the FCT residents Mrs Nike Adebayo who spoke on the ongoing traffic light installation across the territory commended the Minister, Nyesom Wike for keeping the FCTA officials on their toes to do their jobs, and called on the FCTA Transportation Secretariat to expedite action in the installation of the traffic lights in areas yet to be completed.

According to her, ” can you imagine how the street lights in the whole Airport road to the city center started working all of a sudden because Wike is here? Abeg we need action ministers like Wike” Nike said.

On his part, Mr. Fred Onah stressed the need for officials of the FCT Transportation Secretariat to ensure that the traffic lights are functioning optimally at all times to avert chaotic situations like collisions that often occur with dysfunctional traffic lights, leading to accidents and damaged cars, sustained injuries and even loss of lives.

For Mr Samuel Okoh, the FCTA should embark on adequate sensitization on the functionality of the in-built red camera to effectively sensitize all motorists on the implications of violating traffic lights.

Reacting, the Director of Traffic Management FCTA Transportation Secretariat, Wadata Aliyu Bodinga clarified that insinuations by some residents that the traffic lights were not working before now were untrue.

According to him, 96 traffic light junctions were in existence before the Chinese Government’s intervention and were 100% functional, as they were connected to the Central Control Point.

“All the other equipment required to fire the Traffic lights have already been installed. But is not enough to fire the Traffic lights, other studies must be carried out to ensure conformity in the control to avoid chaos. We also have to do traffic counts on almost all traffic light junctions.

“Traffic count means you have to know about how many vehicles are coming at intervals to that junction per area so that you can be able to time properly to know which area has more traffic including taking into account the pedestrian crossing, which is the human traffic. All these issues are being sorted out and very soon, we will be able to power all the traffic lights in the territory.

“The 96 traffic lights that were in existence before the Chinese Government intervention have already been upgraded to our center to be able to rectify them when they are faulty from the comfort of our office. All these are designed to save lives” Bodinga said.

Mr Bodinga warned that the new traffic rule regulation stipulates an N10,000 fine for traffic light violators.

“Yes, there are penalties. The penalty is part of the recent road traffic regulations of 2023 that were amended so that people who beat traffic lights will pay for it dearly. Most of the accidents usually happen at intersections, because motorists often try to exceed speed limits.

“During the time of the immediate past Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, it is a policy, but now it is a regulation, and it is even documented, gazetted, signed, sealed, and delivered.

“So it means now we can charge people when they default. It costs as much as #10,000, and in addition, take them to psychiatric evaluation or send them to driving school. All these are contained in the regulation”.

The Director of Traffic Management also sent a strong warning to encourage pedestrians to always use the pedestrian bridge to cross, even as he cautioned the drivers to have respect for Zebra Crossing.

“We are trying to avert accidents as well as control the traffic so that the city will be orderly. We are appealing to motorists to respect pedestrian crossing and be law-abiding for your safety and the safety of others.”Bodinga advised.

Let’s make our environment safer by reporting any case of dysfunctional traffic lights to the FCTA Transportation Secretariat. Together we can build a functional city for the safety and comfort of all.

Remi Johnson, Edited by Grace Namiji