As part of measures to reduce the spate of road traffic infractions on the nation’s highways, especially during the festive seasons, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has said it achieved its target of drastically reducing accidents rates during the Christmas and new year period with the deployment of not less than 34,000 operatives and 484 patrol vehicles for a special nationwide intervention patrol, tagged “Operation Zero Tolerance.”
The special patrol exercise which started last year December 19 this year will end this week Sunday January 12, 2014.
Speaking on the nationwide exercise which is the fourth in the series of special intervention patrols, initiated by the FRSC to achieve its 2013 strategic goals of reducing fatality by 30% and road crashes by 20%, Jonas Agwu, the corps public education officer, said.
Aside from the personnel, this exercise according to Agwu, witnessed the deployment of 53 advanced life support ambulances, 8 heavy duty tow trucks, 9 medium and light duty tow trucks, 102 patrol bikes and 4 helicopters for aerial surveillance as part of measures to consolidate on the Corps’ road map towards reducing road crashes during the yuletide.
According to him, the operation became necessary due to the usual increased movement of people and goods on the roads, thereby stretching the infrastructure and also tasking traffic law enforcement officers due to several potential traffic distresses that must be prevented or attended to promptly,” he said.
Jonas also said that the exercise is in line with the FRSC resolve to achieve the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety (2011-2020) and the Accra Declaration of year 2007, adding that “the end of the year negative traffic out-come which could negatively affect the achievements of the Corps in crash mitigation, has necessitated the need for pro-active strategies to be put in place.”
During this period, FRSC’s operational focus will be on traffic control/calming, clearing of obstructions, checking speed limit and overloading violation, dangerous driving, use of phone while driving, light signal violation and other road vices.
This is with the collaboration of other relevant agencies such as the Military, the Nigeria Police, National Emergency Management Agency, Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, States Traffic agencies, private ambulance operators and others.
According to the FRSC CPEO, 23 corridors covering all strategic highways and arterial roads and 65 routes have been identified nationwide for this exercise.
In addition, “20 critical traffic control camps have been set up by the Corps to ensure seamless response to road crashes and traffic gridlock such as Abaji (FCT), Ogere (Ogun state), Ilesha (Osun state) and Asaba (Delta state), in addition to 20 Help areas and 14 zebra points along these identified corridors for prompt first aid and medical assistance to victims of road traffic crashes.”
The nationwide exercise backed by public enlightenment campaigns, is the highpoint of the Corps’ consistent tradition at the end of every year towards road crash reduction and to avoid a one-off approach to road safety management in Nigeria.”
He said that the ‘Operation Zero’ tolerance patrol signifies the intension of the Corps to do all within its powers to ensure that zero road crash, injury and death are recorded throughout the period. Road traffic crashes he argued are avoidable and only obedience to best practices of road use will guaranty the safety of all road users.
