Adentan Highway Accidents and Road Discipline

Demonstrations, one of the conventional tools for drawing the attention of those in power was exercised in Adentan following the tragic death of the 134^th person on the highway; we are told. And usual with us, we retreat into the panic mode and all of a sudden a ‘quick fix approach’ is being sought. You know what? Six footbridges are earmarked for completion within four months.

Good as it sounds, I do not think the main issue is the absence of footbridges but death on the highway, resulting mainly from over speeding by drivers. The situation demands pragmatic solution in real time. So a common sense approach must apply.

Among other measures;

• Declare the highway a special driving zone;
• Speed limits should be enforced immediately;
• Deploy the MTTU/City Guards, etc.to monitor speeding drivers;
• Mount surveillance cameras on the road to capture offenders;
• Create zebra crossings at vantage points on the road; and
• Educate the public especially folks in Adentan.

Who can predict-

• There will be no deaths on the highway during and after the construction of the footbridges?
• How many people will even use the footbridges at the end?

In any case, do we need concrete footbridges? What has happened to the prefabricated metal ones that can be quick fixed in a couple of weeks?