By Izunna Okafor, Awka
The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Anambra Road Traffic Management Agency (ARTMA), Engr. Okonkwo Emeka-Konti, has declared that the newly constructed Aroma Flyover at Aroma Junction in Awka has significantly eased traffic operations and enhanced the efficiency of traffic management within the busy commercial and administrative axis of the Anambra State capital.
Engr. Emeka-Konti made this known in a video and statement released on Wednesday, where he openly commended Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo for what he described as a critical intervention that has transformed traffic movement around the once-congested Aroma Junction.
According to the ARTMA Boss, traffic control at Aroma had for years required intense manpower, with officers working in multiple shifts from morning to evening due to the persistent gridlock experienced in the area. He explained that with the completion of the new flyover, vehicular movement across the axis has been remarkably improved, drastically reducing pressure on traffic personnel and easing congestion for road users.
This reporter , Izunna Okafor, gathered that the Aroma Overpass Bridge, which now serves as a major traffic solution structure, links Ifite-Awka and Zik’s Avenue, allowing free flow of vehicles across key parts of the capital city without the former bottleneck that defined the every-busy junction.
While expressing gratitude to Governor Soludo for the project, the ARTMA Managing Director also announced a set of new traffic directives and operational rules that motorists and commercial transport operators must strictly adhere to for safety and orderliness around the flyover.
He stated that it is mandatory for all road users to obey the installed traffic lights at the flyover, warning that disobedience would attract appropriate sanctions.
According to him, motorists approaching from Ifite who intend to access the State Secretariat or the Anambra State House of Assembly must strictly take the first right turn, stressing that the route directly leading towards Aroma from that point is designated as a one-way traffic lane, and any driver who takes the route from that point is guilty of plying one-way.
Addressing tricycle operators, popularly known as Keke riders, Engr. Emeka-Konti announced a major operational change affecting their movement into the Aroma Park. He explained that although Keke riders were previously allowed to directly access their park through the one-way lane, the practice had created confusion and posed serious safety risks to private motorists and other commercial vehicles.
Consequently, he directed that all tricycle operators must now approach the Aroma Park strictly through Stamford Road towards the Secretariat, warning that any tricycle caught driving against this new traffic rule will be impounded for a full seven days without the option of fine, to serve as deterrent to others. He further noted that after the seven-day impoundment period, the tricycle would be released to its owner at no cost.
The ARTMA Boss further drew the attention of motorists to the yellow ‘bus trap’ zone, cautioning that it is completely illegal for any vehicle to stop on the marked yellow bus trap. He stressed that the bus trap is strictly meant for free vehicular movement and must remain unobstructed at all times.
He explained further that with the installation of stop lines on all traffic lights around the flyover, motorists are required to stop strictly before the stop line whenever the traffic light turns red, adding that stopping beyond the stop line constitutes a traffic violation.
Engr. Emeka-Konti emphasized that these new measures are aimed at sustaining the gains of the Aroma Flyover project, enhancing road safety, reducing accidents, and ensuring smooth vehicular movement across Awka metropolis.
He also reaffirmed ARTMA’s commitment to strict enforcement of the new traffic directives, warning that defaulters will face appropriate penalties in line with the agency’s operational regulations. He further urged the road users to cooperate and help enhance the Agency’s operation by fully and strictly adhering to the traffic rules and directives for their own good and that of others.
Watch the video below:
