The Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, has commenced massive mobilisation of its personnel for special patrol on Nigerian roads ahead of the muslim festival, Eid-el-Kabir.
The festival is coming up on Sunday, August 11, 2019.
The patrol, according to the Corps Public Education Officer of the FRSC, Bisi Kazeem, was to ensure safer road environment during the festive period and beyond.
Kazeem said no fewer than 35,000 of the FRSC Regular and Special Marshals, 736 Patrol Vehicles, 120 Ambulances, 25 Tow Truck And 204 Bikes would be on the road during the special operation that would commence from 9th to 16th August, 2019.
The Corps Public Education Officer stated that the special patrol operation had become necessary following the Corps’ commitment to its 2019 Corporate Strategic Goals of reducing Road Traffic crashes (RTC) by 20% and fatality by 25%.
He said, “FRSC has a tradition of always organising special patrols during festive periods as a way of averting the chaos that characterise the road during the celebrations. As such, this year’s Eid-el-Kabir would not be an exemption. Motorists must endeavour to avoid traffic violations and remain conscious of their safety to avoid not only arrest and prosecution by members of the Corps, but falling prey to avoidable road crashes.”
In addition, he said, “the mission of the special operation is to ensure free flow of traffic, provide prompt rescue services and timely clearance of obstructions on all major roads and critical corridors across the country before, during and after the festive period as well as minimizing the occurrence of road traffic crashes on the nation’s highways through effective patrol operations and sustained public enlightenment campaigns.”
Kazeem revealed that to ensure the effectiveness of the operations, the Corps Marshal, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, directed commanding officers operating across various formations nationwide to ensure that the 52 corridors were properly manned throughout the period of the operations.
He however appealed to motorists to obey all traffic rules and regulations and cooperate fully with the FRSC and other law enforcement agencies that would be deployed for traffic management duties.
He said mobile courts would be in session across the country for prompt dispensation of justice to recalcitrant traffic violators.
He said the Corps Marshal also directed that the operatives should pay first-rate focus on effective traffic control, wrongful overtaking, use of phone while driving, drivers licence violation, lane discipline, removal of rickety vehicles on the road, driving with expired or worn out tyres and without spare tyres etc.
To achieve this feat, Kazeem said the Corps had deployed operational equipments in the categories of radar guns, breathalysers to put a check on drunk driving.
He said operational logistics materials were also to be fully deployed for this exercise.
The Corps Marshal, he said, had equally directed that all Zebras must be active 24/7 and be responsive to calls within the minimum FRSC response time to crashes reported.
Kazeem noted that among the 52 corridors to be covered are: Akwanga-Lafiya-Makurdi, Jos-Bauchi-Gombe, Sokoto-Tambuwal-Jega-Birnin Kebbi corridor, Katsina-Kano-Wudil-Dutse-Azare-Potiskum corridor, Kaduna-Saminaka-Jos corridor, Abuja-Kaduna-Kano corridor, Okene-Ogori-Isua-Owo corridor, Makurdi-Otukpo-Obollo Afor-9th Mile corridor, Asaba-Abraka-Ughelli-Warri corridor, Ibadan-Ogere-Sagamu corridor, Sagamu-Mowe-Lagos corridor, amongst others.
He explained that the patrol was to run in shifts as follows 0600hrs – 1400hrs, 1400HRS – 2000hrs, 2000hrs – 2200hrs, and night rescue teams to be on standby at all operational Commands.
The Corps, he said, would go into the exercise with the friendly collaboration with Military Units en-route or resident, the Nigerian Police Force, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Department of State Security, State owned/NGO’s Ambulance service providers, National Network on Emergency Rescue Services (NNERS) and Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA).
The Corps Marshal, he said, advised motorists to be patient on the road and ensure that they operate within the ambit of the law as the Corps would be out to ensure compliance of established traffic laws by all.
