FRSC deploys 36,224 personnel, 1,226 vehicles, 144 motorbikes
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Up to 36,224 personnel and 1,226 patrol vehicles have been deployed by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) to facilitate vehicular movement during the Christmas and New Year festivities across the country.
Acting FRSC Corps Marshal Dauda Biu disclosed in Abuja the practice will be maintained of organising special patrol operations codenamed “Operation Zero Tolerance to Road Traffic Crashes” for many years to ensure safety on the roads.
He explained the objective of the special patrol, which began on 15 December 2022 and will end on 15 January 2023, is to enforce traffic laws and prompt response to accident victims.
“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,” Biu said.
“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.”
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Situation room and bodycams
Biu said the FRSC has established a situation room at the national headquarters to monitor activities nationwide and also ensure unhindered engagement in purposeful public education and enlightenment, per reporting by The PUNCH.
“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.”
Body cameras are part of the deployment to curtail assaults and attacks on the road.
“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.”
