Kasim Sumaina in Abuja
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) weekend said its collaboration with the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) was already yielding results as prosecution of recalcitrant offenders, including drivers involved in ghastly crashes were in top gear.
This was even as it added that it had deployed radars as well as breathalyser equipment to put a check on drunk-driving and over-speeding.
The Corps Marshal, FRSC, Dauda Biu gave the hint at the official flag-off of 2024 Sallah motor rally at Dankogi Park, Zuba.
Biu said the theme for this year’s rally which is: ”Overloading is a Time Bomb: Stop the Deaths, Do not Overload with Persons, Animals or Goods” was apt and could not have come at a better time than now.
According to him, the FRSC was working assiduously to ensure a significant shift in the attitude of motorists this year 2024, explaining that as such, “Nigerians must be aware that frequent cases of road crashes on our roads are not linked to any spirit killing people, rather, an increase in human and vehicular movement, bad driving behaviour, and impatience”
He added: “Part of our efforts towards sanitising the highways is the inter-agency Joint Task Force (JTF) recently constituted to operate along critical corridors in different states of the federation.
“The mandate of the JTF is to mitigate trailer related crashes and fatalities as well as stop the use of trailer to convey passengers. This is because prior to the inauguration of the JTF, the Corps recorded a number of avoidable crashes that involved trailers loaded with goods, animals and passengers leading to deaths and injuries.
“In line with the mandate of the JTF, the various teams have been able to apprehend 35 trailers carrying 982 passengers. From the aforementioned number, a total of 19 trailers carrying 810 people were apprehended on the Abuja-Kaduna expressway.
“While, the JTF team covering Bauchi-Maiduguri general operation area of the Corps also arrested 16 trailers conveying 172 passengers on that route. These arrests were perfected within the first one week beginning from 23 to 30 March, 2024 of its operations on the identified routes.”
Speaking further, he stressed that the constitution of the inter-agency JTF has become overly significant to bring to an end to cases of road crashes involving trailers like that of 04 March, 2024 in Tashan Yari where a trailer loaded with grains and passengers crashed and killed 12 persons.
Others, he said were that of March 18, 2024 where a trailer loaded with goods and 172 passengers crashed on the Kaduna-Abuja expressway, killing 10 people; as well as that of Sunday March 31, 2024 in Obajana which led to the death of 13 people.
Going by the remote and immediate causes of these crashes, the FRSC boss noted that it was apt to affirm that drinking and driving, overloading of vehicles, use of worn out tyres, overloading, lane indiscipline, excessive speed, wrongful overtaking, do not only pose a threat to the life of the driver, but also to the lives and properties of all road users.
“Such bad driving behaviours are still threats to the state of road infrastructures which costs a lot of tax payers’ resources to produce.
“As part of efforts to deal with these challenges, the Corps came up with the idea of taking the message of safety down to all of us at the motor parks quite early due to the critical role the union officials play on the road; as a prelude to massive deployment of personnel and logistics to the highways, particularly at the black spots for the containment of the perennial traffic gridlock and the accompanying hazards.
“The Corps has also put in place, key strategic measures to combat crashes on the road. These initiatives include the flag-off of JTF against use of trailers to convey human beings which contradict the original design of the vehicle,” he stated.
Continuing, he said that FRSC had also ensured the commencement of enforcement on overloading of vehicles and the intensification of Mobile Court operations nationwide.
“The year 2024, therefore, may present yet another challenge and that is why we have come out to tackle it head–on with commitment and determination, as evidenced by the comprehensive measure we are putting in place to address the dreadful experiences we have.
“To achieve this feat, the Corps has deployed operational equipment in the categories of radar guns, breathalysers to put a check on drunk driving and over speeding. More so, I also directed that all Zebras must be active 24/7 and be responsive to calls within the minimum FRSC response time to crashes that might be reported.
“In the same vein, all commanding officers have equally been directed to step up patrol operations and ensure strict enforcement of critical offences like overloading, driving rickety vehicles, excessive smoke emission.
“As we travel to and fro this time, we should endeavour to heed to all established laws, show compassion to other road users, be more tolerant, more careful and drive as if our families are in the other vehicles,” he added.
