LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Incessant Road Accidents On Our Major Roads

One thorny and heart-saddening salient disaster that has become prevalent within the suburb of Osogbo and other neighbouring towns in the State of Osun is the recurrence of road accidents. Much as many encomiums would be directed to the state government for its heavily felt midas touch in the construction and rehabilitation of roads infrastructures, more still need to be done to alleviate this unbecoming disaster that has been on the rise.

Rather than often, barely a day that one wouldn’t witness or hear about a fresh road accident. The rate is quiet alarming as this would only slow down the seeming pace of economic growth in the state. How do we account for a situation whereby able minds in the working class get involved in road accidents due to lackadaisical attitude of road users?

Worthy of commendation is one of the safety net programmes put in place by the government of Osun, the O’Ambulance scheme. This initiative has helped saved many lives due to the quick response health services administered to road accident victims as they are designated and stationed along major routes in the State.

What need be done? Besides the state government’s directive to ban road-side hawking and other business activities, strict measures and punishment should be placed in line for deterring traders. The State House of Assembly should enact and pass such a bill into law.

There should be an awareness campaign by Road Safety Commission and non-governmental organisations for the teeming populace, the major road-users on the need to secure their lives from impending danger that could come to be as a result of bad road usage culture.

Faulty vehicles that break down on the roads should not be left, they should be towed away to a safety haven so as to prevent crash on the highway. Strict punishment should be placed on road traffic defaulters too as I have many times seen fatal accidents caused by this negligible act.

• Oluwafoyo Akanmu.

Kobongbogboe, Osogbo.