By Tayo Joseph Lagos, Nigeria
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) is to deploy 25,000 regular and special marshals nationwide for its special patrol during the forthcoming Sallah celebrations.
The Corps Public Education Officer, Mr Bizi Kazeem, told newsmen in Abuja on Friday that 864 vehicles, 106 ambulances, 22 tow trucks and 266 motorcycles would also be deployed for the exercise.
Its aim, he said, is to ensure effective management of expected upsurge in human and vehicle traffic to mininise road accidents within the period.
“We want to emphasise traffic control, traffic calming, making to ensure that the motoring public reach their destinations without any delay.
“We have about 200 mobile courts already set up to try erring offenders, and we are emphasising on use of phone while driving, speed limiting device as it relates to commercial vehicle operators, overloading, lane indiscipline and obstruction.
“We are looking at critical routes like Abuja-Lokoja highway, Lagos-Ibadan expressway, Benin-Asaba-Ore road and some other critical areas to ensure that we record zero crash during the Sallah period.’’
Kazeem said the exercise would hold between June 22 and 28, and that FRSC rescue teams would operate skeletally in the evenings for security reasons, since FRSC officials were not armed.
However, he explained that the operation would last up till 10 p.m. in places like Lagos where the security of officials could be guaranteed.
“We have intensified public education to make sure that we sensitise the motoring public on the use of the road without getting involved in crashes.
“I want to also say that if you are a passenger, don’t be a passive passenger, be active.
“You can stop that driver before he kills you. And as a driver you just know that life has no duplicate. You must save your life,’’ he advised…..
