By Sylvia Kodilichukwu, Enugu
Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has deployed no fewer than 768 personnel for its month-long Yuletide special operations within Enugu State, South-East Nigeria.
Sector Commander, FRSC, in the state, Mr Franklin Agbakoba, told newsmen in Enugu on Thursday that the personnel are made up of 483 regular marshals and officers.
Agbakoba noted that the personnel are currently being supported by 285 special marshals manning critical road corridors to ensure traffic flow as well as providing rescue, emergency and health services.
The Sector Commander said that the body had already deployed nine patrol vehicles, one power bike, an ambulance, one heavy duty tow truck and a light duty tow truck, for operations within the festive season.
“The Command has made deployment starting from the commencement of the Special Yuletide Patrol, code-named ‘Operation Zero Tolerance to Road Crash’ on Dec. 15 and gave out specific instructions to our personnel.
“The special Yuletide patrol, which would last till Jan. 15, 2025, would be carried out in three shifts daily to put our personnel on effective alertness to ensure safety of all Nigerians using any critical road corridors in the state.
“The Command’s personnel surveillance and education would focus on eight critical offences, which normally lead to crashes. These include: check for worn out tyres, overloading and mixed loading of humans and animals together.
“We also have to stop speeding, driving license violation, dangerous driving, use of phones while driving and seat belt use violation,” he said.
The Sector Commander said that the command had devised a strategy to end the frequent crashes along the Ugwu Onyeama axis of Enugu-9th Mile road corridor through activation of a “Help Area” mechanism along the axis.
He said that the Help Area has a permanent ambulance team for medical response as well as a heavy duty tow truck team for vehicle recovery and clearing of any obstructions on the road.
Agbakoba said: “We have stationed a patrol team to monitor the Enugu-9th Mile axis of the Enugu-Awka-Onitsha Road 24/7 and ensure safety and traffic compliance as well as enforcement of road traffic infractions.
“We have stationed enough marshals at the entrance of the Enugu-9th Mile axis of the road at both ends of the road, to and fro.
“Our marshals are permanently there to ensure lane discipline; and that no vehicle drives against the traffic and help us forestall and finally stop the head-on collisions that happen in that axis virtually every week.”
The Sector Commander added that the corps had given special attention to the Eke Obinagu axis of Enugu-Abakaliki Road due to increased traffic in that axis and the ongoing fly-over bridge construction there.
“We are also giving special attention to 4-Corner axis of Enugu-Aba-Port-Harcourt Road and some parts of special inter-exchange and link roads within Enugu metropolis as well.
“This operational deployment/planning reflects the FRSC’s commitment to road safety during high traffic period this Yuletide.
“I will advise motorists and travelers to plan their journey early and leave early for their travel. They should avoid night travel as much as possible,” he added.
