By Moses Akaigwe
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) National Headquarters has deployed a total of 25, 224 personnel to cover the various highways across the country in order to ensure safe motoring during the Easter celebration.
This was contained in a press release by the Corps Public Education Officer, Assistant Corps Marshal Bisi Kazeem, which disclosed that monitors have also been positioned on the highways to ensure compliance with the operational guidelines of the special patrol scheduled to commence on Wednesday, March 31, and terminate on April 7, 2021.
The press release said the deployed personnel include 7,100 officers, 18,124 marshals inspectors and road marshal assistants 15,225 special marshals who would cover all the identified areas across the country.
It also indicated that management staff, Zonal Commanding Officers, Sector Commanders and other senior officers of the rank of Deputy Corps Commanders (DCC) in the National Headquarters, as well as Corridor Commanders, have also been deployed to the field commands to ensure compliance with the operational guidelines issued at the beginning of the exercise.
“In addition, 580 patrol vehicles, 92 ambulances, 17 tow trucks and 73 motorbikes are being deployed as part of the patrol logistics,” Kazeem stated.
“Furthermore, 2,096 reflective jackets , 1,000 traffic crones, 73 tyre pressure gauges, a number of extricating machines and digital breathalyzers are part of the tools set aside for the special operations.”
The Corps Public Officer further noted that as part of the strategies, a total of 22 Help Areas have been established to ensure prompt removal of obstructions, death and injuries during the period. This, he said, is in addition to the 10 traffic control camps which would be dedicated solely to identifying traffic gridlock areas to be manned by our personnel on 24/7 basis during the Easter celebration.
“The corps has put in place a situation room at the National Headquarters to monitor the activities across the country, collate and process information for dissemination to relevant commands and stakeholders as the case may be. This is in addition to the activation of 28 road traffic crash clinics and 48 zebra points located along the major routes which would be covered by 92 ambulances that would be fully utilised to respond promptly to cases of rescue and convey injured victims to hospitals for more professional attention,” he stated.
Kazeem added that commanding officers have been directed to liaise with other strategic stakeholders within their operational areas to secure the needed moral and logistics as well as security support. He identified some of the stakeholders as Military formations (en route or resident); the Nigeria Police (en route or resident); Depart of Security Services (en route or resident); and the Nigeria Immigration Service.
Others are the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (en route or resident); Federal Ministry of Works and Housing; National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA); state traffic management agencies; state owned/non-governmental organisation’s ambulance services providers; National Network on Emergency Rescue Services (NNES); Federal Road Maintenance Agencies; and the Federal Fire Service.
He further disclosed that the objectives of special operations are reduction in Road Traffic Crashes, Road Traffic Fatalities and Road Traffic Injuries; enforcement and strict compliance to COVID-19 Protocol by motorists and road users; prompt response to road traffic crash victims; unhindered engagement in purposeful public education and enlightenment and speedy removal of obstructions from the highways among others.
He assures members of the public that in achieving the objectives of the special operations, the corps will combine the engagement of the motoring public through purposeful and impactful public education programmes, strengthening of surveillance activities to regulate unprofessional excesses, sustained effective patrol operations as well as adequate monitoring on the highways.
“To this end, the Corps would carry out aggressive enforcement including conducting over 200 mobile court operations, with the aim of checking the following offences:
Speed Limit Violations; Overloading Violations/ Physical distancing in vehicles; Tyre violations, light signs violations including directional lights headlights, backlight and break light; Use of Phone while driving; Route Violation / Lane Indiscipline; and seatbelt use violations.
Others are driving under the influence of alcohol/ drugs; Dangerous driving; Number Plate violations; mechanically deficient vehicles; and Illegal parking.
The Corps Public Education Officer stated that the Corps Marshal, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, has expressed optimism that Nigerians would as usual, cooperate with members of the corps and other security agencies, as well as volunteers who would come out to assist in traffic management during the period.
He stressed that with the massive deployment of personnel and logistics and the envisaged public support, the celebration would be a huge success.