Eid-El-Fitri: FRSC Deploys Personnel, Logistics to Accident-prone Routes

Dele Ogbodo in Abuja

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on Sunday deployed 20,000 personnel including special marshals, as well as 500 patrol vehicles, 50 ambulances, 85 motor bikes, and 15 tow trucks to accident-prone routes as part of measures to ensure sanity on the nation’s highways during the Eid-el-Fitri Sallah.

 In statement made available to the media in Abuja, the Head of Media Relations and Strategy, Mr.  Bisi Kazeem, said the deployment of personnel and logistics will be along Lokoja-Auchi-Benin, Abaji-Lokoja, Abuja-Keffi-Akwanga-HawanKibo-Jos, Minna-Birnin-Kebbi-Sokoto-Gusau-Funtua-Zaria, Potiskum-Damaturu, Kabba highways and 65 other routes across the country.

Similarly, he said  the Corps’ 24 emergency ambulance response centres located at designated routes across the country in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Kaduna, Gombe, Jigawa, Taraba, Niger, Kogi, Ondo, Edo, Osun, Nasarawa, Plateau and Kwara states,  will be operational throughout the period.

 According to him, FRSC deployment will also be complemented by the Nigerian Police, Nigerian Army, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps and National Emergency Management Agency.

He said the deployment is part of effort aimed at reducing road crashes by 15 percent and road fatality by 25 percent, adding that festive periods are usually associated with high volume of vehicular traffic.

He said: “The special patrol also entails intensive patrols, prompt rescue services, strict enforcement of traffic rules and robust public enlightenment campaigns across the nation, adding that in addition, the FRSC operatives will be deployed along designated Eid praying grounds as part of measures to ensure free flow of traffic.

FRSC has therefore directed the removal of obstructions from the highways while efforts should be geared towards improved traffic control/decongestion and public enlightenment campaigns through the distribution of safety handbills.

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