Have you ever been to Abuja? Well, even if you haven't, but have plans to visit Nigeria's most beautiful city, Abujacitynews advises that you take precaution over the following dangers while using Abuja roads.
1. Over speeding: Abuja has arguably the best roads in Nigeria, so drivers have virtually turned them to race tracks.
Most of the roads in the city have speed limits ranging from 70 km/h to 100 km/h but their expansive, solid and smooth surfaces have become the primary factors that tempt drivers to push their vehicles to the limits.
Moreover, given the lack of enforcement of speed limits by road traffic authorities, Abuja roads are accident-prone. Overturned cars lying 'comfortably' in Abuja's expansive drainages, especially along the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport road is a common sight.
2. Using pedestrian bridges at odd hours : Many footbridges dot Abuja's ever busy roads, even as the public demands for more.
However, these lifesaving structures become homes to miscreants and hoodlums at night.
If you use these footbridges in the lonely hours of the night, you run the risk of being mugged or raped. In fact, people are known to have been robbed, raped or killed in some particularly notorious pedestrian bridges like the ones at Lugbe and Mararaba.
3. Not using pedestrian bridges : The watchword here is. "use Abuja's footbridges at daytime/rush hours but avoid them at odd hours.
Crossing Abuja's fast paced 10 lane dual carriage ways on foot is almost certainly a suicide mission. Yet there are people who prefer that option to the 'stress' of climbing a pedestrian bridge. A lot of such persons have been killed by fast moving vehicles.
4. Bullion Vans : These vans used by banks to move large amounts of money drive as if they are chased by a thousand demons.
Usually accompanied by gun wielding policemen, bullion vans neither respect traffic rules nor the rights of other road users.
So, if you see a bullion van blaring siren and weaving its way through the traffic, get out of the way as quickly as possible. Otherwise, you run the risk of being hit. And when you get hit, they won't even bother to stop.
5. Biking: Although Abuja roads have walkways, there are no provisions for bicycles.
If you must ride a bicycle in Abuja, do so within your premises or risk being killed while sharing the same road with motor vehicles.
6. One-chance cab operators: These unscrupulous, rapacious men and women constitute a major blot on Abuja city.
They drive through the streets and roads, picking up unwary passengers and dispossessing them of money and other valuables.
There have been reports of people getting pushed out of moving vehicles after being robbed by one-chance gangs. In fact, Abujacitynews recently witnessed one such case in which a lone 'one-chancer' operating in a blue Seat Cordoba kicked a lady out of his moving car, having robbed her of some money. The car pictured below had its windows and windshields smashed by a mob after he was apprehended.
Did I list all of the dangers on Abuja roads? If you know of anything that I did not mention, feel free to drop a comment.
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