Recently, the Anambra State Government installed bumps on some portions of the Awka-Onitsha Highway in the capital city of Awka. Not only that these bumps were installed, they were done in such a way that no matter how one slows down, they will jar one’s vehicle, meaning that constant use of those portions of road will eventual damage the vehicles.
Beyond this though, is a question on the propriety of having those bumps on the highways of the state, when they are in contravention of a Federal Government’s Order.
Not long ago, the Federal Government of Nigeria directed the removal of speed bumps on highways across Nigeria to improve traffic flow and enhance road safety.
The announcement was made by the Minister of Works, David Umahi, during a two-day retreat in Abuja.
Umahi noted that many speed bumps on federal highways were poorly constructed, leading to accidents, vehicle damage, and prolonged travel times. He recounted a personal experience where a trip that should have taken an hour extended to three hours due to the excessive number of speed bumps on the route.
While acknowledging the importance of speed bumps in certain locations to ensure safety, Umahi criticized the current state of many bumps on Nigerian Highways, describing them as a menace.
His words, ‘Some of these speed bumps are so high they scrape the bottom plates of vehicles. This not only undermines their purpose, but also endangers road users.’
The directive also received support from the National Assembly which emphasized the need to restore order and functionality on federal highways.
But in Anambra, the State Government had gone ahead to install those bumps, with the attendant problems they bring. Highways are meant for fast traffic flow, unlike secondary routes where bumps are necessary because of large human habitation.
Furthermore, many people use the highways, including those doing interstate travel who may not know the topography of roads along the routes they take. Such people are likely to come upon the bumps suddenly and in attempting to apply the brakes, can have accidents. This is proof that what may seem beneficial to the people may actually cause more problems.
Let’s look at some reasons why bumps are not supposed to be on highways.
Safety Hazards:
Abruptly slowing down on a highway can lead to rear-end collisions and loss of control for vehicles that don’t decelerate sufficiently.
Disruption of Traffic Flow:
Highways are designed for high-speed travel, and speed bumps significantly decrease speed and flow rate, causing congestion, especially during peak hours.
Vehicle Damage:
The constant jarring from traversing speed bumps at high speeds can damage vehicle components like suspension systems, leading to increased maintenance costs.
Incorrect Function:
Speed bumps are designed for low-volume residential streets, not for high-speed arterial roads where their presence creates a menace.
But where a government insists on installing road bumps, there are alternatives to adopt such as:
Rumble Strips:
These are grooves cut into the pavement or raised textured strips on the road edges designed to vibrate the vehicle when it veers off course, alerting drowsy or distracted drivers.
Botts’ Dots:
These are raised, reflective markers used for lane delineation that provide a tactile warning when a vehicle drifts across a lane line.
Speed Enforcement Cameras:
These are used to monitor and enforce speed limits on highways without causing the physical disruption of a speed bump.
These above are therefore alternatives open to the Anambra State Government to explore, rather than disrupt traffic flow on the highways of the state. If the government is concerned about the constant accidents along, for instance, the UNIZIK and Immigration Junction Areas of Awka, it should build pedestrian bridges in those areas for people to take and avoid crossing the expressway.
An area like the Regina Caeli Junction in Awka badly needs a pedestrian bridge as the distance between that junction and the UNIZIK Permanent Site Junction is quite long, a development that forces pedestrians to attempt to cross the expressway at high risk to their lives.
Once pedestrian bridges are installed anywhere, anyone who attempts to leave them and dash across the road is on their own and should blame no one if they are hit by speeding vehicles.
We therefore call on the Anambra State Government to rethink its action and remove those bumps, especially as they go against a federal government’s order. It will be unwise to cause problems while trying to avoid one, as accidents can occur as a result of those bumps.
The Anambra State Government should also remove bumps indiscriminately installed in many communities, with many leaving little spaces between bumps. The route between Ufuma and Umunze in Anambra State is one place where bumps have been abused, causing discomfort and delays for travellers.
The government should insist that communities should not install bumps by themselves and will have to, not only obtain permission from the State Government, but should allow the State Government agencies responsible for that to do it.
This will ensure uniformity and right placement. A situation where any community decides one day to put up bumps and does so without permission or supervision should not be allowed.
We hope the Anambra State Government should take action on this.
