With the declaration of Sunday, August 11, 2019 as the day of Eid el Kabir in Nigeria, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has commenced massive mobilisation of its personnel for the Sallah special patrol aimed at ensuring safer road environment during and after the festive period.

This was disclosed by the Corps Public Education Officer, Bisi Kazeem, who said that no fewer than 35,000 of the FRSC Regular and Special Marshals, 736 patrol vehicles, 120 ambulances, 25 tow truck and 204 bikes would be on the road during the special operation that would commence from August 9 to 16, 2019.

The Corps Public Education Officer stated that the special patrol operation has become necessary following the FRSC’s commitment to its 2019 Corporate Strategic Goals of reducing Road Traffic Crashes (RTC) by 20percent and fatality by 25percent.

“FRSC has a tradition of always organising special patrols during festive periods as a way of averting the chaos that characterise 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.

“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,” he said.

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 manned 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 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 first-rate focus 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 tyre and without spare tyre, etc.

To achieve this, the FRSC has deployed operational equipment in the categories of Radar Guns, Breathlysers to put a check on drunk driving, while operational logistics materials are also to be fully deployed for this exercise. More so, 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.

Kazeem noted that, 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.

The Corps will go into the exercise with the friendly collaboration with Military Units en-route or resident, the Nigerian Police Force, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Department of State Security, state owned and non-governmental organisations’ ambulance service providers, National Network on Emergency Rescue Services (NNERS) and Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA).

The Corps Marshal is by this advising all motorists to be patient on the road and ensure that they operate within the ambit of the law as the Corps is out to ensure compliance of established traffic laws by all.