To restore sanity and eliminate traffic bottlenecks in the nation’s capital, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has begun the restoration of 33 traffic light junctions out of 172 in the city.
The first intersections were picked based on the priority of utilization, according to Mr. Adesola Olusade, the permanent secretary who visited the project over the weekend.
He added that the program’s purpose was to make driving easier while simultaneously tackling the federal capital’s continuing grildlock problem.
The present renovation, which includes security measures, will connect all traffic signals to a central point where activity at crossings will be monitored, according to the permanent secretary.
According to him, the rehabilitation work was part of the approved FCT 2021 budget, with additional ones awaiting the approval of Bureau of Public Enterprise.
Olusade hinted that the administration had another China intervention support that would commence installation by June/July which will strengthen the traffic lights system.
This, according to him, will ultimately translate to tangible improvement in the installation, rehabilitation and maintenance of the lights across the territory.
He said: “For sometime now, there have been issues with traffic signals in the Federal Capital City but with the award of this contract all the challenges associated with the traffic lights will be addressed”
Olusade started the inspection of the traffic lights project at Zakari Maimalara by Muhammadu Buhari way in the Central Business District, and ended at Kashim Ibrahim way/Anguiyi Ironsi street in Maitama District.
Speaking on its sustainability, the Mandate Secretary FCT Transportation Secretariat, Zakari Dobi said adequate measures will be put in place by the secretariat to safeguard the millions naira worth traffic lights infrastructure scheme.
He added that: “The project is going to be for one year, but with 2022 budget it can be extended to 3 years considering its importance”.
However, the contractor Engr Adewale Ikatun explained that the project which is rehabilitation and reactivation of some intersections started in the last two weeks, and will last for three months in the first phase.
