Traffic light: FCTA flags off construction of wireless signals

In order to ensure easy flow of traffic and orderliness on Abuja roads, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has flagged off the construction of wireless traffic light control at 98 major intersections in the city.

The project is part of a donor project by the Government of the Peoples Republic of China to the FCT.

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Speaking at the commencement of the project on Tuesday at the Wuye Market junction in Wuye District, the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, said it had added a needed impetus as the government strove towards building a world-class capital city.

Bello noted that the project also added value to the effort of managing energy consumption needs as the traffic control signals would utilise wireless LED energy-saving illumination.

Represented by the FCT Permanent Secretary, Mr Olusade Adesola, the minister expressed hope that on completion the project would further aid efforts by the administration to achieve an efficient and effective traffic management system in Abuja.

He said, “Abuja is one of the fastest growing cities in the world, with an equally fast growing population. This rapid growth has put enormous pressure on city infrastructure, including those dedicated to traffic management.

“On our part, we will ensure an enabling environment for a hitch-free and successful delivery of this project and look forward to its completion and subsequent commissioning.”

Earlier, FCTA’s Secretary of Transportation, Abdullahi Adamu Candido, disclosed that the story of the project started in 2012, during the fourth ministerial conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) when the Chinese government assented to the request to help the Nigerian government construct solar-powered wireless traffic control signals at 74 intersections in Abuja.

He said the system had proven to be reliable and energy efficient, especially in the face of rising cost of gas in the global market.

Jiang Kai Fong, Project Manager of China Railway Eight Engineering Group Ltd, the firm designated by the Chinese government to implement the second phase of the project, gave an overview.