A recent transport dialogue organised by the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration (CIoTA) has expressed critical interventions by the federal government to tackle the heightened rate of insecurity on Nigerian roads. According to stakeholders at the virtual meeting, the introduction of the mobile N-App by the federal government would curb road crimes and kidnapping. The experts called for a continuous review of the transport safety management system in Nigeria and effective use of other modes of transport to ensure improved safety on the roads. JustNetNews reports.
Doctor Magdalene Ajani, Perm. Sec. Federal Ministry of Transportation
In a move to protect motorists and the entire Nigerian road users from the declining rate of insecurity the Federal Government of Nigeria has introduced a mobile application tagged ‘Internal Security and Public Safety Alert System’ (NISPSAS) popularly N-App.
This was the take home at a recent transport dialogue organised by the Chartered Institute of Transport Administration (CIoTA) moderated by its National Publicity Secretary, Mrs. Chizoba Anyika, who is also a staff member of the Nigeria and Management Safety Agency (NIMASA).
Keynote speaker at the virtual dialogue tagged CIoTA 2.0 series with the theme; ‘Transport and the Challenges of Road Safety in Nigeria’ was the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Doctor Magdalene Ajani.
In her speech, Ajani said the theme was apt as she reiterated that road transport mode is the predominant mode for movement of goods and services in the country.
She said the road mode is the first and last-mile-carriage of Nigeria’s transport network and consists of the intracity, intercity, inter-state, and the regional/cross country transport services for carriage of persons and haulage of freight.
While decrying the deterioration on the roads acknowledged the federal government’s massive road rehabilitation programme of federal roads that has significantly improved the nation’s motorable road standard through the Federal Ministry of Works while the Federal Ministry of Transportation charged with the overall responsibility of Policy Formulation and implementation of the Road Transport and Mass Transit Administration in the Country has also gotten a lot of gains both locally and in the sub-regional level where all ECOWAS standard and protocol on the Joint Border Post and Road Corridor engagement has continued to improve.
According to her, the N-App was developed to improve the safety and security of road transport commuters as well as to aid in contact tracing at motor parks.
She said that the application is expected to generate accurate statistics for road users and operators and reduce road crimes such as Kidnapping.
Ajani who noted that the road transport industry is largely dominated by unregulated privately owned vehicles stated that Nigeria has about 201,500km of roads, made up of 35,000km of federal roads representing 17 per cent of the total road network, 26,500km of state roads representing 13 per cent and 140,000km of local Government roads representing 70 per cent.
She pointed out that the state of deterioration of a significant percentage of this road network has made the road susceptible to various woes resulting in accidents and loss of lives and properties.
Ajani said: “It is worthy to note that between 2011 and 2020 the FRSC recorded 111,920 road crashes; 402,360 casualties of which 217,875 died.
“Recently, the security challenges on the nation’s highways such as armed robbery and kidnapping have become very rampant and worrisome.
“This situation has made it necessary to strengthen safety and security in our road transport system nationwide.
“In the light of this insecurity, the Ministry in conjunction with the Ministry of Interior introduced and launched the Internal Security and Public Safety Alert System (NISPSAS) Mobile App on Thursday, 12th May, 2022.
“The N-App was developed to improve the safety and security of road Transport commuters as well as to aid in contact tracing at Motor Parks.
“This Application is expected to generate accurate statistics for road users and operators and reduce road crimes such as kidnapping.”
“Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, I feel obliged to inform you that our Sister Agency, the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) is doing a lot to stem the tide of insecurity in Nigeria.
“Recently, they Commissioned State of the Art facilities inclusive of Operational Monitoring and Control Room, and Patrol Personnel kitted with Cameras.
“They have also had a Call Center in the last four years that operates 24 hours for emergency calls and is linked to all the security and emergency agencies.
“While the Commission needs to embark on public sensitisation to make Nigerians aware of their interventions; it is advisable for the state and local governments to adopt this technology to augment their activities.
“Dear Participants, the Ministry is planning on Transforming the Road Subsector through its Road Transport Transformation Programme (RTTP) to ensure that the road transport system supports high level safety and restores the people’s confidence in the road transport mode.
“Similarly, the Ministry through the Department of Road Transport and Mass Transit Administration (RT&MTA) is a critical stakeholder in the implementation of the five pillars of the UN Decade of Action on Road Safety (2021-2030),” the Permanent Secretary explained.
Presenting the second paper, the Director, Centre for Logistics and Transport Studies, University of Port Harcourt, Professor Osi Akpoghomeh,
said according to the WHO, (2004) and UN (2003) projection that by 2020 road traffic injuries could place third among the causes of death and disability, ahead of such other health problems as malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.
These figures will increase by about 65 per cent by 2050 unless there is new commitment to prevent that trajectory.
He said statistics on road traffic accidents/crashes in Nigeria are frightening and show the urgent need for a review of the approach to road safety management, noting that although road transport safety management requires a multi-faceted joint effort, there is little or no collaboration among key stakeholders.
Furthermore, he said systems approach is therefore an improvement on the empirical approach that traditionally studies phenomena by examining individual component parts.
Agboghome proffered four actions going forward as: Safe Roads and Mobility (Infrastructure) which involves assessment of Roads and Road Audit, and Improved Road Design.
Safe Road Users by Legislation which involves: Enforcement, Awareness, and Employers’ contribution.
Safe vehicles by Vehicle Standards, importation of substandard vehicles, and research and development.
Post Crash Response by pre-hospital care, trauma care, and quality of health care.
Noting that road traffic accidents are one of the leading causes of death and disability especially in the developing countries including Nigeria, the professor called for a continuous review of the transport safety management system in Nigeria.
Also in his paper presentation, Assistant Commandant of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) in Udi, Enugu State, Corps Marshall Kayode Olagunju, said that despite the numerous challenges to road safety in Nigeria, there are new prospects to road safety such as; NRSS (Nigeria Road Safety Strategy) which has been developed and is being implemented.
Others, according to him, which the commission is doing to improve road transportation is the Driving School Standardisation programme, as well as infusion and implementation of Road Safety education in Primary and Secondary School Curriculum.
He said others include “Effective fleet management systems, and Stakeholder Involvement.
“Adoption of the Safe System Approach: This approach aims to develop a road transport system that is better able to accommodate human error and take into consideration the vulnerability of the human body.
“It starts from the acceptance of human error and thus the realisation that traffic crashes cannot be completely avoided.
“The goal of a safe system is to ensure that accidents do not result in serious human injury.”
Doctor Taiwo Salaam of the School of Transport Lagos State University/ Chairman of CIoTA Lagos State Chapter
who delivered the last paper for the day entitled ‘Managing Road Transport Risks: From Principles to Safety Measures’ said road transport seems to be the most common, affordable, easily accessible transport mode, hence prone to more disaster.
He noted that while the roads are overused and oftentimes wrongly used in Nigeria, unfortunately, pipelines and waterways are no longer used as complement to the roads as a result petroleum products are now moved on the already congested and dilapidated roads.
Salaam said the major result of the predominant use of the road transportation over all the other modes are environmental problems of road transportation and high frequency of road traffic accidents on Nigerian roads.
He gave the following reasons as causes for road disasters: Man as a Driver; Environmental Factors; Real Risk and Performance; Drivers Disregarding Small Risk; Alcohol and Risk taking; and Attitude.
He decried that data from the FRSC on road accidents in 2020 and 2021; 72, 796 had accidents in 2020 while it increased to 83, 390 in 2021.
The transport expert therefore canvassed that traffic psychologists will need to play a major role in changing people’s attitude toward road use and operations in Nigeria saying that alternative modes should play a vital role to relieve roads.