Transport Unions Raise Alarm Over Removal Of Speed Breakers On Kwara Highway

The National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) have expressed serious concern over the removal of speed breakers along the Oko-Olowo highway in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

In a joint statement issued on Saturday, the unions lamented the action of a Federal Government contractor who dismantled the speed control measures recently installed by the Kwara State Government to curb reckless driving and ensure commuter safety.

The statement, signed by Kwara NURTW Chairman, Alhaji Abdulrasak Ariwoola, and RTEAN Chairman, Alhaji Abdulrahman Onikijipa, warned that the removal poses a significant threat to lives along the high-traffic corridor.

“Since the speed breakers were removed by a contractor working on the road, we are seriously concerned about the safety of commuters along the Oko-Olowo axis,” the unions stated. “We fear that this action may trigger a new wave of accidents and avoidable loss of lives.”

The Oko-Olowo junction has witnessed a series of fatal accidents in recent months, largely attributed to reckless speeding by heavy-duty vehicles.

The transport unions called on the Federal Government to urgently intervene by reinstating the speed breakers and implementing additional road safety measures to safeguard the lives of commuters and residents along the highway.

They emphasized the need for a proactive approach to prevent further tragedies and ensure that critical road infrastructure supports, rather than undermines, public safety.