FRSC deploys 34,000 personnel for festivities

FEDERAL Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has deployed over 34,000 personnel and 66 ambulances for road safety during the Easter celebration.

The FRSC also deployed some 102 motor bikes, 455 patrol vehicles and 12 tow trucks to the nation’s highways. Massive personnel and logistics deployment in tackling road accidents has been a national engagement especially during festive periods.

Corps Marshal of FRSC, Boboye Oyeyemi, said yesterday in Abuja that the concentration of personnel and logistics is targeted along 23 designated critical corridors and black spots.

He listed the sensitive routes to include “Sagamu-Ore-Benin, Lokoja-Benin-Auchi, Onitsha-Ihiala-Aba, Abuja-Keffi-Akwanga-HawanKibo-Jos,Minna-Birnin-Kebbi-Sokoto-Gusau-Funtua-Zaria,Kabba-Umuoke-Ekiti-Ido-Ilesha,Benin-Warri-Patani-Portharcourt and Makurdi-Oturkpo-Obollo Afor-9thMile highways and 65 routes.”

Also identified for this exercise are the Corps’ 24 emergency ambulance response centres located at designated routes across the country in the Federal Capital Territory, Kaduna, Gombe, Jigawa, Taraba, Niger, Kogi, Ondo, Edo, Osun, Nasarawa, Plateau and Kwara states.

Oyeyemi noted that this year’s nationwide exercise has become necessary to reduce the spate of road traffic crashes in the country usually resulting from violations of traffic rules and regulations, most especially during festive seasons.

He said that the special patrol also entails intensive patrols, prompt rescue services, strict enforcement of traffic rules and robust public enlightenment campaigns across the country.