David Umahi, Minister of works has ordered dismantling of speed bumps on federal roads to reduce accidents and improve traffic flow.

Umahi disclosed this at a two-day retreat for Federal Ministry of Works Highway Engineers and Managerial Staff on Friday in Abuja.

According to Umahi, most speed bumps across the country were wrongly built causing accidents and delays on the road. “I came through one of the federal routes and for a journey that is supposed to last like one hour within that stretch, it lasted like three hours because every 20 metres you will see a bump.

“Although there is nothing wrong with speed bumps in certain designated locations. But there is an approved technical design for bumps. There are also allowable locations for bumps and that is what we want to do. So the National Assembly has directed that these speed bumps should be dismantled.

“Some speed bumps are high, touching the bottom plates of vehicles; that is not desirable. It defeats the aim. So, this is what we are saying; and that is what the national assembly is saying, the ministry as well as motorists want them to dismantle it.”

Umahi said that going forward, applications would be made to controllers for the locations through the Permanent Secretary and to the minister for approval after meeting technical compliance.

He therefore, said the retreat was aimed at educating participants to properly understand the president’s renewed hope agenda with specific reference to road infrastructure development among others.

In his remarks, Olufunso Adebiyi, permanent secretary in the ministry, said the Federal Road Safety Corps’ record revealed that accidents were traceable to reckless driving, drunk driving, disregard for road instructions and unauthorised crossing of the road among others.

“It may surprise you that the percentage of accidents caused by bad roads were less than 10 per cent. The bad roads are traceable to inefficiency on the part of the engineers, poor supervision of our road works among others.”

Adebiyi urged the engineers to step up and curb some of the irregularities, noting that the ministry was committed to building their capacity to deliver on the administration’s agenda.