It was announced by the federal government that the first set of cargo weighbridges would be deployed on the Nigerian roads. These would serve heavy-duty vehicles plying major roads and also help protect roads from damage caused by overweight. This was revealed by the Minister of Works and Housing Babatunde Raji Fashola on Tuesday at the reception of board members of the Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA). He charged the agency’s board members to make safeguarding the roads a mandate in their duties of maintenance. The Minister also spoke against road users whose activities damaged the road, warning them against overloading.
Babatunde Fashola further said that ongoing construction by the ministry is being delayed by the rainy season and that this season was highly susceptible to road damages. He spelt out that the adverse effects of the rainy season on infrastructure nationwide is usually terrible such that it affects the pace of work done in the construction sector in general.
He charged the Federal Road Maintenance Agency to work hand in hand with the officials of the Federal Controllers of Works to promote qualitative road usage in the country. He also vowed to validate the controllers’ jurisdiction by making them part of the Ministry’s plan of live security and road protection.
Moreover, he guaranteed road users that the federal government was informed of the challenges faced on the road and was working to address the situation.