By Francis Nansak,Lafia

Motorists and commuters plying the Abuja-Keffi Expressway have raised alarm over what they described as “wrong kilometer signages” and the planting of trees directly between street lights along the dual carriageway.

The concerns were raised during an assessment of the road from  Mararaba,Auta Balefi to Keffi, where several road users said the misleading kilometer markers were causing confusion and endangering lives.

A commercial driver, who simply gave his name as Musa, said: “From Auta Balefi, the KLM signs are unrealistic driving down to keffi. You will see KM 20 at Uke and instead of the numbering decreasing , then suddenly you see 35 KLM . We don’t know the exact distance again. In case of emergency, how will you direct help?”

Another troubling situation according to road safety advocates, is the ongoing planting of trees in the median between street lights.

A civil engineer who spoke on condition of anonymity warned that planting trees directly under or between street lights defeats the purpose of road illumination. “The trees will grow and block the light. At night the road will become darker, and that is where accidents happen. The standard practice is to plant trees away from light poles so both can serve their purpose,” he explained.

Residents of Mararaba, Nyanya and Masaka also complained that the wrong signage makes it difficult for emergency responders and logistics companies to track locations accurately.

They are now calling on the Federal Ministry of Works and the Nasarawa State Government to audit the kilometer posts and review the landscaping plan to ensure compliance with road safety standards.

As at press time, efforts to get official reactions from the Ministry of Works and FERMA proved abortive.