Niger govt to ban heavy duty vehicles on Minna-Bida road under construction

To ensure the speedy completion of Minna-Bida Road, the Niger State Government is putting up measures to restrict heavy-duty vehicles from plying the road.

The position of Government was disclosed by the Chairman Infrastructure Project Monitoring Committee, Ibrahim Balarabe, while leading the team on a fact finding mission on factors responsible for the slow pace of work.

The team noted that unless the restriction is made, the pace of work on the road would be slow pointing out that the heavy trucks have become a nuisance, distraction, and setback to the contractor and government delivering the project on time.

Rainfall, a natural phenomenon that no one has control over, is said to be another factor militating against the progress of the project

Government, in a Government House statement, assured the public that it will remain committed to the project as the contractor has been mobilized and moved to site with their equipments.

Governor Abubakar Sani Bello spokeswoman, Mrs. Mary Noel-Berje, urged the people to be more patient, show understanding and give maximum co-operation towards the success of the project.

The government also called on the Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency, fix the Federal Roads in the state, pointing out that the state will come up with modalities, involving all relevant stakeholders, to give a window period after which no articulated vehicle would be allowed to pass through the Minna-Bida and Lapai-Paiko-Minna roads.

“The roads that are allowed for all heavy-duty equipment, is the Mokwa-Tegina-Birnin Gwari and Bida-Agaie-Lambata Roads owned by the Federal Government, the statement added.

The Project Manager of Dantata and Sawoe, the company handling the Minna-Bida Road, Mr Fahir Ibrahim, lamented that their efforts on the road was being hampered by heavy-duty vehicles.

Mr Ibrahim explained that despite the barricades put on some portions of the road to allow the work to progress, the articulated vehicles always run into the portion, with some getting stuck there, adding that if the traffic is not reduced to the minimum, they will continue to suffer setbacks on the construction project.

He acknowledged the importance attached to the road by Governor Abubakar Sani Bello and the need for them to timeously deliver a quality road without compromise.

He assured the government and people of the state of a road that will stand the test of time, while calling on the public for patience because of the weather condition, characterised with heavy rainfall.