Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Boboye Oyeyemi, has ordered the deployment of 36,000 regular and special marshals nationwide for the end-of-year special patrol operations.
Code-named Operation Zero Tolerance with the theme, “Right to Life on the Highway, Not Negotiable’’, the exercise which will involve the deployment of 795 patrol cars, 204 motorcycles, 106 ambulances and 21 tow trucks for the exercis kicks-off on Wednesday and will run until January 15,2018.
The Corp Marshal said the operations were targeting 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, are 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.
He 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, and 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 secured end-of-year patrol operations.
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, road users are advised to make use of the Corps’ helpline (122) in the event of accidents and other emergencies.
MIKE OCHONMA
