Hyacinth Chinweuba
Pursuant to the envisioned increase in vehicular movement across the country occasioned by the yuletide, the Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Dr Boboye Oyeyemi has ordered the immediate deployment of logistics, personnel and Special Marshals nationwide to entrench safety on the roads, enforce compliance on established road traffic rules, COVID-19 precautionary measure for commuters, and secure free flow of traffic for the motoring public along all corridors and other roads.
According to Bisi Kazeem, the Corps Public Education Officer, the Corps Marshal, also ordered strategic 24 hours Observatory at Commands along high volume of traffic/gridlock prone areas, Establishment of 11 Traffic Control Camps, full mobilization of 23 Help Areas, full mobilization of 46 Emergency Ambulance (Zebra) Points, Full mobilization of Road Side (RTC) Clinics, and 24/7 broadcast on National Traffic Radio 107.1 FM. He revealed that the directive is targeted at achieving a near zero road traffic crash throughout the period.
The 2020 Operation Zero tolerance commenced from Monday, Dec 12, 2020 spanning through to Monday, Jan 15, 2021 nation-wide. The operation which is programmed to run in shift as follows 0600hrs – 1400hrs, 1400HRS – 2000hrs, 2000hrs – 2200hrs, and Night Rescue teams on standby at all operational Commands is billed to cover the following critical corridors; Sokoto-Tambuwal-Jega-Birnin Kebbi corridor, Katsina-Kano-Wudil-Dutse-
Explaining some of the reasons for year 2020’s holistic approach to safer roads, kazeem noted that the Corps has observed that a key characteristics of the period over the years is an upsurge in traffic volume, impatience by motorists who may not have adequately planned their journeys, or motorists managing mechanically deficient vehicles to and fro their travel destinations.
According to him, the foregoing is known to be the major causes of chaos and indiscipline among all classes of road users, leading to crashes, fatalities, maiming of motorists and loss of property as well as traffic congestion/gridlocks.
He stated that the operation will cover the three broad areas of Traffic control/decongestion, Public enlightenment, and Enforcement, stressing that the enforcement is aimed at checkmating Excessive speeding, Dangerous Driving/Overtaking, Lane indiscipline/Route violation, Road Obstructions, Use of Phone while Driving, Overloading Violation, Seatbelt/Child restraint Use Violations, Passengers’ Manifest Violations, Mechanically Deficient Vehicles, Latching and Twist-Locks Violation, Abuse of Spy number plates on private vehicles, and massive constitution of Mobile Courts across the Nation.
While officers and Marshals will be mobilized with the necessary materials for Rescue Operations, the Corps’ operatives will be collaborating with Military units, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Directorate of State Services (DSS), NGO Ambulance Service Providers, National Network on Emergency Road Services (NNERS) and the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA).
The Corps Marshal also stated that the operatives will be charged with the responsibility of identifying alternative routes to assist motorists during gridlocks, and give notification of traffic distressed areas for intervention. As such, he called on the motoring public to utilise all FRSC social media handles (facebook.com//frscnigeria,