Commissioners meet to review National Road safety Strategy

Commissioners of Works and Transportation from the North West on Thursday met to develop common strategies for the implementation of the National Road Safety Strategy.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the meeting, held in Kaduna had in attendance officials responsible for transport from Kaduna, Sokoto, Katsina, Kebbi, Zamfara and Jigawa.
Kaduna State Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transportation, Balaraba Aliyu-Inuwa, said the main goal is to develop strategies to halt loss of lives and properties through effective road traffic management.
Aliyu-Inuwa said the objective is in line with the vision of the United Nation’s Decade of Action to reduce road traffic accidents and fatalities by 35 percent by 2018 and 50 percent by 2020.
He said: “This platform will provide an opportunity for us to get informed and ensure cross fertilization of ideas on the tasks, roles and responsibilities we are expected to play towards reducing accidents on our roads.
“This meeting is therefore aimed at promoting effective coordination and synergy among states in actualizing the goals, objectives and programs outlined in the NRSS.
“It is also aimed at developing a peer mechanism within our zone, to inspire each other towards NRSS implementation, what we do and get to know what and how others do in their states.”
The commissioner said with the increase in population and urbanization, “safe mobility is essential to the well-being of our society and sustainable growth”.
He added: “So I therefore implore us all to partake, share ideas, experiences by outlining and harmonizing our initiatives.”
Also, the Corps Marshall, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, said the objective of NRSS is to stem road crashes and the consequent loss of lives and properties through systematic nationally coordinated road traffic management.
Oyeyemi represented by Deputy Corps Marshal, Hafis Muhammad, said it was important to have uniformed higher road safety standards, practice and tools, define roles of all stakeholders and strengthen sustainable funding.
He however said that there must be measurable indices and trustworthy platforms to attract funding among others.
Also, the Corps Marshall, Kaduna State Traffic Law Enforcement Authority,  Abdulkadir Ahmad, said road safety can only be achieved when there are laid down strategies in line with national standards.
Ahmad said road safety remained key to safe and smooth transport system, adding that there was need to ensure good roads across the country.
He said: “Since its establishment of KASTLEA, the marshals have posed a threat to criminal activities as a result of enforcement which involves identification and checking of vehicular documents.”
He said the enforcement of ban on commercial motorcycle operation on major corridors of the state has brought down the rate of crimes involving kidnapping and snatching of handbags, phone and the like.