Adequacy of Road Furniture within the Major Highways in Minna Metropolis, Niger State, Nigeria.

Abstract

Abstract: The absence of sufficient safety laws, poor infrastructure, and inadequate enforcement in low- and middle income countries account for 90% of the world’s road traffic fatalities. Road furniture are used to improve safety and control traffic along the roads. The aim of the research was to determine the adequacy of road furniture that control traffic along the major roads in Minna, Niger State. The road furniture considered were traffic signals, road signs, speed humps and roundabouts. The research investigated their adequacy in terms of distribution, sufficiency, and conformity to standards. Both primary and secondary data were employed in the study. The coordinate’s location points of all existing road furniture were collected using Global Position System and the points were determined on Google earth map covering the study area. The distribution, placements, composition and sizes of the existing furniture were determined using Geographical Information System techniques. The study revealed that the existing furniture are insufficient, although they are randomly distributed along the existing highways as 47% were conformed to conventional standards. The study recommended that efforts must be made in maintaining the existing road furniture and new one need be erected in places that possess dangers to pedestrians and other road users.