In order to ensure safety on Nigerian roads during the period of the Muslim festival, Eid-el-Kabir, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), will begin a special patrol on Friday.
It will last till August 26.
The Corps Public Education Officer, Bisi Kazeem, made this known in a statement made available to The Next Edition.
He said already, the Corps Marshal, Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi, had directed the corps’ operatives (regular and special marshals) to effectively cover 45 corridors during the period.
He said the corps had identified possible alternative routes to ease traffic flow around the major highways.
The alternative routes are: Lokoja-Kabba-Ayere-Akunu-Ise-Junction-Ile-are-Ado Ekiti; Lokoja-Kabba-Ayere; 9th Mile-Udi-Oji River-Umunze; Bauchi-Alkaleri-Kaltungo; Kaduna-Kachia-Kwoi-Manchok; Keffi-Nasarawa-Toto-Abaji-Lokoja and Lekki-Epe-Ijebu Ode.
Kazeem also noted that among the corridors to be covered were: 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 and Sagamu-Mowe-Lagos corridor.
Kazeem said Oyeyemi who thanked the motoring public for their cooperation in making the roads safe also stated that operatives of the corps had been directed to deploy all professional expertise to ensure free flow of traffic, prompt clearing of obstructions and effective enforcement of traffic laws.
In the same vein, the Corps Marshal directed that the corps focuses 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/worn out tyres and without spare tyre etc.
Kazeem revealed that in order to achieve its goal, the corps had deployed 35,000 personnel as follows, 21,000 regular marshals and 14,000 special marshals respectively.
Also deployed are operational equipments which include 948 vehicles in the category of 656 patrol vehicles, 113 ambulances, 156 admin vehicles, 23 tow trucks and 204 bikes for metropolitan bike patrol.
Other equipments deployed are radar guns and breathalyzers to put a check on drunk driving.
Operational logistics materials are also to be fully deployed for the exercise.
Kazeem said the Corps Marshal had equally directed that all Zebras must be active round the clock for prompt rescue operations and be responsive to calls within the minimum FRSC response time to crashes reported.
He said in line with the foregoing, the patrol would run in shifts as follows 0600hrs – 1400hrs; 1400HRS – 2000hrs, 2000hrs – 2200hrs and Night Rescue teams to be on standby across the 12 Zonal Commands, 37 Sector Commands, 201 Unit Commands, 43 Outposts and 48 Emergency Ambulance Points (Zebras).
He said the corps would go into the exercise with the friendly collaboration of the 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).
FRSC advised all motorists to be patient on the road and cooperate within the ambit of the law.
