By NAN

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Directorate of Road Transport Services (DRTS) says it will establish a truck terminal along the Kubwa/Dei-Dei highway. The DRTS, which is also known as the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) explained that the terminal would help to curb accidents involving articulated and light vehicles.

Mr Wadata Bodinga, Director, FCT DRTS, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja, that the construction of the truck terminal was also to prevent articulated vehicles from entering the city centre during peak periods.

NAN reports that the directorate recently announced that heavy duty trucks and articulated vehicles were restricted from entering the city from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 4p.m to 10p.m daily to ease traffic flow.

Bodinga disclosed that the directorate in collaboration with the FCT Urban and Regional Planning department, was planning to ensure implementation of the terminal at Dei-Dei area of the territory.

He said that since the restriction was a policy of the FCT Administration, it was important to ensure that major expressways linking the city to suburbs had truck terminals.

“At Kugbo junction, along Nyanya expressway where we already have a truck terminal, our men are always there to ensure we stop these trucks and pull them in so that they can stay and later continue their journey when the peak period is over.

“For now, what we are trying to do at Kubwa/Dei-Dei express is to caution them by at first stopping them at the boarder point of Dei-Dei and when the time is up we allow them to move because there is no specific terminal.

“It is also risky stopping vehicles of such magnitude on the roads because by so doing we could be causing more harm than good.

“But, thankfully the Kubwa road is wide and so we don’t experience much of the chaotic heavy and light vehicles accidents as seen along Nyanya road,” he said.

According to the director, the articulated vehicles restriction becomes expedient following the high accident fatality rate along Nyanya area.

He advised motorists to drive carefully especially when driving alongside heavy duty trucks.