December 19, 2017

The Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, has ordered the deployment of 36,000 regular and special marshals nationwide for the end-of-year special patrol operations.

According to the Corps Public Education Officer, Mr Bisi Kazeem, 795 patrol cars, 204 motorcycles, 106 ambulances and 21 tow trucks would also be deployed for the exercise.

Kareem said that the patrol Code-named Operation Zero Tolerance with the theme, “Right to Life on the Highway, Not Negotiable’’, would commence on Wednesday and would run until Jan. 15.

Kazeem said the operations was to ensure free flow of traffic, drastic reduction in accidents, and prevention of accident-related deaths across the country, among others, during the period.

He identified the operational strategies to include establishment of 13 Help Areas and nine camps on accident-prone corridors to cater for accident victims.

Other strategies, according to him, include: quick response time to distress calls, 24-hour visibility along critical corridors, uninterrupted motorised patrol, day-time route lining, traffic control and deployment of 201 mobile courts.

Kazeem said the Corps would also activate high alert on internal and external medical facilities to intervene in case of crashes, undertake aerial surveillance and purposeful synergy with other security agencies.

According to him, the FRSC boss has also ordered strict enforcement of traffic laws with focus on speeding, dangerous driving, use of phone while driving, overloading, passenger manifest violations, among others.

“Management staff, Zonal Commanding Officers, Zonal Heads of Operations and other senior officers of the Corps have been massively deployed to monitor the exercise along critical corridors.

“Commanding Officers have been directed to closely collaborate with sister security agencies to ensure safe and secure end-of-year patrol operations.

“Their involvement is to provide security support and to check the activities of recalcitrant offenders, dissidents and other anti-FRSC elements,’’ the spokesman said.

He also said that a Special Monitoring Team would be deployed to keep an eye on all corridors and ensure strict compliance to the Corps Marshal’s directives.

The special monitoring, he explained, would provide first-hand information to the FRSC boss on happenings in the field as it relates to the operations.

While reiterating the FRSC’s appeal for cooperation by the motoring public, Kazeem urged road users to make use of the Corps’ helpline (122) in the event of accidents and other emergencies.