Further to sustained efforts towards
ensuring sanity on the highways during this year’s Eid-el- Fitri celebrations,
the Federal Road Safety Corps has deployed 15,000 personnel, 800 patrol
vehicles, 60 motor bikes, 52 ambulances and 6 heavy duty tow trucks along
critical corridors of the highways as part plans for a nationwide special
patrol slated for 25th - 29th July, 2014 with the theme,
‘Attitude: the change we need on our roads’.
This exercise which is in line with the
Corps’ continued drive to achieve its 2014 strategic goals of reducing
road traffic crashes by 15% and fatalities by 25% especially during the festive
season, has also being designed to address the perennial rise in the violation
of traffic rules and regulations during the Eid-el Fitri celebration.
According to the FRSC, the special
patrol is aimed at addressing the spate of avoidable road crashes usually
associated with surge of human and vehicular traffic across the country and is
an all inclusive exercise which will witness intensive patrols, prompt rescue
services, strict enforcement of traffic rules and robust public enlightenment
campaigns across the country.
Details of the objectives of this
special exercise include the removal of obstructions from the highways, traffic
control/decongestion, public enlightenment campaigns through the distribution
of safety handbills, radio and television talk shows and other forms of
awareness campaign, in addition to strict enforcement of road traffic
regulation infractions such as non-use of seat belt, use of cell phone while
driving, overloading, excessive smoke emission, speed limit violation, wrongful
overtaking, dangerous driving, failure to move over and other road vices.
Aside from massive deployment of
personnel and logistics along designated corridors and black spots, the FRSC
has established 9 Help Areas along Hawa Kibo, Akwanga, Gwagwalada, Lokoja, Ore,
Egbeda, Mowe, Oghere and Kakau highways, in addition to the establishment of
mobile courts at specific locations across the country for quick dispensation
with road traffic offences.
Speaking on the Sallah special patrol,
the FRSC Corps Marshal and Chief Executive, Boboye Oyeyemi said that the
nationwide exercise ‘ forms part of the Corps’ sustained efforts to build on
its Ember months and Easter campaigns which to a large extent, will be
sustained towards the end of the year to mitigate against road crashes”. He
added that “the FRSC has initiated a consistent tradition of enforcing traffic
rules and regulations throughout the year to avoid a one-off approach to road
safety management in Nigeria’.
He added ‘ the Operation Eid-el Fitri
2014’ special patrol signifies the intension of the Corps to do all within its
powers to ensure that zero road crashes, injuries and deaths are recorded
throughout the sallah period”.
Against this backdrop, motorists are
hereby warned to ensure strict compliance with all traffic rules and
regulations and proper maintenance of vehicles which ply the highways as there
will be no waiver for any traffic violations.
As build
up towards crash-free sallah celebration, the FRSC has initiated a 24- hour
prompt response to distress calls and urges the Nigerian motoring public to
contact 070022553772 or toll free 122 emergency lines in the event of any road
crash and other traffic related challenges.
ACM. Jonas Agwu
Corps Public Education Officer
Tags
Society