The Federal Road Safety Corps has deployed no fewer than 35,000 of the FRSC regular and special marshals, 736 patrol vehicles, 120 ambulances, 25 tow trucks and 204 bikes as part of efforts to ensure safety on the nation’s roads during the Eid-el-Kabir celebration.
According to the Corps Public Education Officer, Bisi Kazeem, the FRSC would carry out the special operation from 9th to 16th August 2019.
Kazeem stated that the special patrol operation had become imperative following the Corps’ commitment to its 2019 Corporate Strategic Goals of reducing Road Traffic crashes by 20 per cent and fatality by 25 per cent.
He said, “FRSC has a tradition of always organising special patrols during festive periods as a way of averting the chaos that characterises 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.”
Kazeem added, “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.”
To ensure the effectiveness of the operations, Kazeem revealed that the Corps Marshal, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi directed commanding officers operating across various formations nationwide to ensure that the 52 corridors are properly garrisoned 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 in traffic management duties, saying mobile courts would be in session across the country for prompt dispensation of justice to recalcitrant traffic violators.
The Corps Marshal, also directed that the operatives pay first-rate focus on effective traffic control, wrongful overtaking, use of phone while driving, drivers licence violation, lane discipline, removal of rickety vehicles from the roads, driving with expired/ worn-out tyres and without spare tyres etc.
To achieve this fit, the Corps has deployed operational equipment in the categories of Radar Guns, Breathalysers to put a check on drunk driving, operational logistics materials are also to be fully deployed for this exercise.
