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The massive mobilisation of personnel for the Sallah special patrol by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to ensure safer road environment during the festive period and beyond, is in tandem with the corps’ commitment to its 2019 Corporate Strategic Goals of reducing road traffic crashes (RTC) by 20 percent and fatality by 25 percent.
A statement by the Corps Public Education Officer, Bisi Kazeem, explained that FRSC has a tradition of always organising special patrols during festive periods as a way of averting the chaos that characterises motoring during celebrations, like the one for Eid el Kabir..
“ 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 said. He disclosed that no fewer than 35,000 of the FRSC regular and special marshals, 736 patrol vehicles, 120 ambulances, 25 tow-trucks and 204 motorcycles would be on the road during the special operation flagged off on August 9, and is expected to end this Friday.
The statement further said: “In addition, 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 minimising 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, the Corps Marshal, Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi, has directed commanding officers operating across various formations nationwide to ensure that the 52 corridors being targeted by the patrol exercise are properly manned throughout the period of the operations.
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.
Oyeyemi, 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, 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 serious attention to 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/worn out tyres and driving without spare tyre, among others.
To enhance success during the patrol, the corps has deployed operational equipments in the categories of radar guns and breathalysers to put a check on drunk-driving, while ensuring that operational logistics materials are fully deployed for this exercise.
The Corps Marshal has equally directed that all ‘Zebras’ must be active 24/7 and be responsive to calls within the minimum FRSC response time to crashes reported.
