By Angeline Mgbele, Senior Correspondent, Abuja

In a bid to ensure free flow of traffic and also trend down road traffic fatalities by 15 per cent, the Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps(FRSC), Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi, has directed the deployment of 25,224 Corps’ Operatives (Regular and Special Marshals) to effectively cover 29 critical Corridors during the Easter Special Patrol which is expected to commence from 13 to 20 April 2022 .

Giving the breakdown of the deployment, the Corps Public Education Officer, ACM Bisi Kazeem said that the personnel included 7,100 Officers, 18,124 Marshals and 15,225 Special Marshals deployed to cover all the identified areas across the country.

ACM Kazeem noted 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 were also deployed to the Field Commands to ensure compliance with the Operational Guidelines issued at the beginning of the exercise.

Accordingly, a total of 580 patrol vehicles, 92 ambulances, 17 tow trucks and 73 motorbikes are being deployed as part of the patrol logistics. In addition, 2096 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.

Kazeem also stated that part of the strategies in place was the activation  of 22 Help Areas to ensure prompt removal of obstructions, death and injuries during the period, in addition to the ten traffic control camps which would  be dedicated solely  to identifying traffic gridlock areas to be manned  by personnel on 24/7 basis during the Easter Celebration.

In addition, the Corps Marshal also directed Commanding Officers to swing into action by combining the engagement of the motoring public through purposeful and impactful public education programmes, strengthened surveillance activities to regulate unprofessional excesses, sustained effective patrol operations as well as adequate monitoring on the highways.

Further to that, all Commanding Officers have equally been directed to step up patrol operations and ensure strict enforcement of critical offences like overloading, driving rickety vehicles, excessive smoke emission,  Speed Limit Violations, Overloading Violations, Tyre  violations, light signs violations including directional lights headlights, backlight and break light, among others.

The Corps has also 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 utilized to respond  promptly  to cases  of rescue  and convey injured  victims  to hospitals for more professional attention.

The spokesperson quoted the Corps Marshal as saying; “We are very conscious  of the  fact that FRSC alone cannot shoulder the responsibilities  of ensuring safer road environments, I have directed Commanding Officers to liaise with other strategic stakeholders within their  operational areas for the  needed moral and logistics  as well as security  support.

I am also convinced and have confidence in the disposition, crop and quality of personnel and logistics that have been deployed to ensure the safety of travelers during the Easter celebration. However, it is also expedient to state without mincing words that the Corps will not be able to achieve desired result that would make trips safer for all if the cooperation of the motoring public is not in place”.

By this fact, Oyeyemi urged the entire community of road users to give the Corps maximum support and cooperation by complying with all safety measures and abiding by all established traffic laws so that incidences of road traffic crashes could be drastically minimized. He further advised that in situations of emergency, the 122 toll free number and the National Traffic Radio live lines: 08052998090, 09067000015, and 08052998012 are viable means to reach FRSC to report Traffic situations anywhere in the country for swift response.