The Federal Road Safety Corps announced on Monday that it has deployed 36,224 personnel and 1,226 patrol logistics to facilitate vehicular movement during the Christmas and New Year celebrations nationwide.
The FRSC’s Acting Corps Marshal, Dauda Biu, disclosed this during a press briefing in Abuja.
Biu said the FRSC had maintained a culture of organising special patrol operations, codenamed “Operation Zero Tolerance to Road Traffic Crashes,” for many years.
He added that the measures follow series of activities that mark the holiday season to ensure the safety of lives and properties of road users.
The FRSC boss revealed that the objective of the special patrol operations, which commenced on December 15, 2022, and would end on January 15, 2023, is focused on the enforcement of traffic laws and prompt response to accident victims.
Biu said, “On this note, a total of 25,224 personnel in the categories of 7,100 officers, 18,124 marshals, and over 11,000 special marshals have been deployed to cover all the identified areas across the country.
“Management staff, Zonal Commanding Officers, Sector Commanders, and other senior officers of the rank of Deputy Corps Commanders in the national headquarters as well as Corridor Commanders are also deployed to the Field Commands.
“This is also to ensure compliance with the operational guidelines issued at the beginning of the exercise.
“743 patrol vehicles, 184 administrative vehicles, 132 ambulances, 23 tow trucks, and 144 motorbikes have been deployed as part of the patrol logistics.
“Many extricating machines and digital breathalysers are part of the tools set aside for the special operations, in addition to 23 help areas and 15 traffic control camps.”
Biu further revealed that the Corps has also put in place a situation room at the National Headquarters to monitor the activities across the country, adding that the activities also included unhindered engagement in purposeful public education and enlightenment across the country.
He said, “This situation room is to 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 46 Zebra points located along the major routes.
“These will be covered by 92 ambulances that will be fully utilised to respond promptly to cases of rescue and convey injured victims to hospitals for more professional attention.”
The FRSC boss also noted that the Corps has deployed a reasonable number of personnel with body cameras to help curtail assaults and attacks on the road.
He added, “Also, there’ll be mobile courts to try traffic offenders on the spot, as we’ve always done during this season. These are measures to put in place to curtail the indiscipline of motorists.
“Our Sector Commanders are to liaise with interstate vehicle companies concerning overloading, as it was discovered that major road crashes happen over the night and usually involve interstate vehicles.”
