FRSC Vows to Rid Abuja-Okene Highway of Gridlock, Warms Motorists

Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja

Ahead of Yuletide, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has vowed to rid the Abuja -Okene road, especially the notorious Obajana Junction and other points of gridlock during the Christmas and New Year celebrations in Kogi State.

Kogi State FRSC Sector Commander, Stephen Dawulung, made the vow at the Corps’ end of year special intervention sensitisation campaign for gridlock and crash prone areas nationwide held in Lokoja yesterday .

The campaign which has the theme: ‘Driving tired is as dangerous as driving drunk: Observe 30 minutes rest period after every four hours’ was the sole initiative of the Acting Corps Marshall, FRSC, Dauda Ali-Biu.

Dawulung explained that the campaign was one of the several strategies initiated by the Acting Corps Marshall and management of the corps wants to address and remedy causes of road traffic crashes and fatality along specific crash prone areas.

He said that FRSC had, therefore, deployed 870 personnel, 22 patrol vehicles, three ambulances and a towing truck to critical routes and accident prone areas within Kogi to ensure robust enforcement

According to him, this to ensure effective traffic control, prompt removal of obstructions and prompt rescue operations toward the enhancement of safe and free flow of traffic from the North to the South

The roads in Kogi State serve as links between the North, East and Southern part of the country.

“We have also set up traffic control camps at Katon Karfe, Natako, Zariagi, Kabba, Ajaokuta and Okene for easy traffic control and rescue operations.

“We hope to work in synergy with other relevant stakeholders and security agencies to achieve this goal,” he said.

He said that the command began its special patrol operation for the yuletide from December 20 with zero tolerance to road traffic crashes and fatality to end on January 4, 2023.

“It’s unfortunate that it’s always within the yuletide that the practice of long and unbroken hours becomes more pronounced considering the surge in socio-economic activities and large number of passengers/commuters, which tempts drivers to stretch their limits day and night to make more gains.

“In the process, it exposes drivers to fatigue, drowsiness and sleep with the highest likelihood of crashes with high fatalities.

“Sadly, this is to the detriment of their (motorists) safety and other road users as journeys oftentimes result in crashes with high rates of fatality,” he said.

According to him, to check mate this, the special intervention sensitisation campaign embarked on December 22, is part of the means adopted by the corps to allow safe and free flow of traffic during the yuletide.

Dawulung commended federal and state governments for the rehabilitation of some roads within the state to enhance traffic flow within the major roads in Kogi.