Minister of Works, David Umahi, on Friday, ordered the removal of haphazardly constructed speed bumps on federal highways across Nigeria.
This is in a decisive move to improve traffic flow and enhance road safety,
The announcement came during a two-day retreat for engineers and managerial staff of the Federal Ministry of Works in Abuja, themed “Ensuring Delivery of Mr. President’s Agenda on Road Infrastructural Development.”
Addressing participants, Umahi highlighted the detrimental effects of poorly designed and indiscriminately placed speed bumps, which he said are causing accidents, damaging vehicles, and elongating travel times unnecessarily.
Recounting a personal experience, Umahi described a frustrating trip along a federal route that was riddled with speed bumps every 20 meters. What should have been a one-hour journey stretched to three hours.
“While speed bumps are necessary in certain locations to enhance safety, many on our highways are poorly designed, dangerously high, and cause more harm than good,” the minister said.
He noted that some of these speed bumps damage the undercarriages of vehicles and contribute to multiple road accidents and fatalities.
Umahi criticized the unregulated proliferation of speed bumps, calling them a “menace” that undermines their original purpose of ensuring safety. He added that the National Assembly has backed the directive to dismantle such bumps to restore order on the highways.
“Some of these speed bumps are so high they touch the bottom plates of vehicles. That is not desirable and defeats the purpose of ensuring safety. Both the ministry and the National Assembly agree they need to go,” Umahi emphasized.
In a bid to prevent the recurrence of such issues, the minister announced a stricter approval process for constructing speed bumps. Going forward:
- Applications for speed bump installation must be submitted to controllers through the Permanent Secretary and approved by the minister.
- Speed bumps must meet technical compliance standards, including an appropriate height and design.
- A safe sight distance of no less than 100 meters must be ensured, with proper warning signs to alert motorists.
While acknowledging the necessity of speed bumps in designated areas, Umahi stressed the importance of ensuring they are strategically placed and technically sound.
“This is not an attack on safety measures; it’s about doing things right. Speed bumps should serve their purpose without becoming hazards themselves,” he said.