Experts in the automobile industry have called on the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to resume motorised patrols on highways to reduce crashes.
Speaking at a town hall organised by the ‘On the Highway Africa 2025’ in Lagos, stakeholders said past patrols had helped to reduce drivers’ excesses on the highways, which often led to serious accidents on major routes.
At the meeting, themed: ‘Driving into the New Year: Safer Roads, Fuller Communities,’ participants stressed the need for stronger oversight on highways.
A transport analyst, Moses Akaigwe, said the FRSC was “not as efficient or respected as before,” urging innovation to boost its relevance.
Akaigwe called for the FRSC’s involvement at the design stage of new road projects to improve safety outcomes across the network.
He urged the government to “end sachet alcohol sales in motor parks”, insisting that it was a major cause of crashes on the road.
He called on the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to critically monitor the use and consumption of hard drugs in motor parks by drivers.
Besides, Akaigwe advised transport owners to train drivers properly and insisted that private motorists must maintain their vehicles before travel.
Also, a transporter, Isaac Uhunmwagho, said danger on highways had multiplied tremendously in recent times.
Uhunmwagho emphasised that safety was core for all operators and warned that alcoholism among drivers must be addressed immediately.
Uhunmwagho, who doubles as the Chairman of Efex Executive Ltd, emphasised that transport owners must ensure drivers with alcohol problems “never take control of any vehicle.”
Zonal Commanding Officer, FRSC, Ann Oladayo, pointed out that road safety was a shared duty and insisted the corps was working hard to reduce crashes.
Oladayo, represented by Deputy Corps Marshal, Umaru Bamayi, said motorised patrols were costly, but plans were underway to improve capacity.
“We are working within budget and hope things improve so we can do better,” she said.
Earlier, the founder of ‘On the Highway Africa’, Julie Chi-Nwaoha, said the campaign aimed to raise awareness and drive collective action on road safety.
Chi-Nwaoha said road safety was everyone’s business and urged citizens to play their part in protecting road users.
She commended FRSC Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, for his visionary leadership in digitalising operations to improve efficiency and save lives.
She urged participants to remember that “every life matters” and to work together for safer roads and a brighter future.
