• Citizens still to come to terms with rail transport revival, say experts• Corporation responsible for preventable rail accidents, says FalanaIt was a moment of pain and agony for the families of those who didn’t survive and 79 other victims who suffered severe injuries and had their plans either cut short or altered.
The incident occurred barely two months after residents of Chikakore, Byazhin, in the Federal Capital Territory , watched helplessly as an oncoming train crushed to death, a middle-aged woman, whose name was given as Hajia Selimat Idowu, along rail track. In the SUV were a trader and his son, who parked beside the tracks, waiting to enter Oshodi Shopping Complex, Arena, for business.
The young lady was walking on the rail track with her headphones plugged in and couldn’t hear the horns from the approaching train. She didn’t survive the injuries sustained in the accident. “The railway corporation needs to build proper demarcation to protect vehicles and pedestrians crossing the railway. There should be more publicity on safety precautions at the railway intersection.
According to him, “train tracks should be routed away from human/vehicular interference to reduce accidents, especially in areas where human activities and vehicular crossing is frequent.” Also, former National Chairman, Nigerian Institution of Highways Transportation Engineers, Dayo Oluyemi, said ideally the intersection between a rail line and a roadway should be a grade-separated intersection.
For the Chief Executive Officer Bethlehem Rail, London, Mr. Roland Ataguba, there is enough blame to go round, though it appeared that the bus driver was primarily at fault. Former Dean of the School of Transport and Logistics, Lagos State University , Prof. Samuel Odewumi, said there are normally different types of rail crossing barricades. It could be human, mechanical or electrical. The one in place at the time of the accident was human.According to Odewumi, witnesses on site testified that there was a man waiving a red flag for vehicles to stop. While others obeyed, the bus driver refused and the train ran into it.
“On the Red line, we are sharing tracks with the Federal Government through the NRC. The NRC currently has fenced off the rail corridor. All authorised level crossings are to be closed and replaced with overpass bridges, or flyover to eliminate interaction between vehicular and train traffic. There are 10 authorised level crossings between Agbado and Oyingbo. They are at Jonathan Coker , Pen Cinema, Asade, Ikeja, PWD, llupeju bypass. Ogunmokun , Fadeyi, Yaba and Oyingbo.
Education Education Latest News, Education Education Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: GuardianNigeria - 🏆 1. / 94 Read more »