The Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, has directed the immediate deployment of logistics, 36,000 personnel and special marshals nationwide to ensure road safety during the Christmas and new year.

The Corps Public Education Officer, Assistant Corps Marshal Mr Bisi Kazeem, annouced this in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja.

Oyeyemi also directed the enforcement of compliance with road traffic rules and COVID-19 precautionary measures for road users.

Oyeyemi instructed that there should be strategic 24-hour observatory at commands and traffic control camps along high volume of traffic and gridlock prone areas.

He promised that there would be full mobilisation of 23 help areas,  46 emergency ambulances at zebra points, road side clinics and 24 hour-broadcast on road activities on National Traffic Radio 107.1 FM station.

He said that the directive was targeted at achieving a near-zero road traffic crash throughout the period.

“The 2020 Operation Zero tolerance commenced from Dec. 12  to Jan. 15, 2021 nationwide.

“The operation is programmed to run in shift as follows: 0600hrs – 1400hrs, 1400hrs – 2000hrs, 2000hrs – 2200hrs and night rescue teams on standby at all operational commands.

“This is billed to cover Sokoto-Tambuwal-Jega-Birnin Kebbi corridor, Katsina-Kano-Wudil-Dutse-Azare-Potiskum corridor, Kaduna-Saminaka-Jos corridor, Abuja-Kaduna-Kano corridor.

“Also Okene-Ogori-Isua-Owo corridor, Makurdi-Otukpo-Obollo Afor-9th Mile corridor, Asaba-Abraka-Ughelli-Warri corridor, Ibadan-Ogere-Sagamu corridor and Sagamu-Mowe-Lagos corridor, among others.

Oyeyemi, while explaining some reasons for year 2020’s holistic approach to safer roads, said that the corps had observed that a key characteristics of the period over the years was an upsurge in traffic volume.

He noted that the corps observed impatience by motorists who might not have adequately planned their journeys and that motorists, on many occasions, managed mechanically deficient vehicles to and fro their travel often.

According to him, these are major causes of crashes, fatalities, maiming of motorists, loss of property, traffic congestion and gridlocks.

He stated that the operation would cover the three broad areas of traffic control, decongestion, public enlightenment and enforcement.

Oyeyemi said that the enforcement was aimed at checkmating excessive speeding, dangerous driving, overtaking, lane indiscipline and route violation, road obstructions, use of phone while driving, overloading violation, seatbelt and child restraint use violations,

“There will also be enforcement on passengers’ manifest violations, mechanically deficient vehicles, latching and twist-locks violation, abuse of spy number plates on private vehicles, and massive constitution of mobile courts across the bation.

“While officers and marshals will be mobilised with the necessary materials for rescue operations, the corps’ operatives would be collaborating with military units.

“We will collaborate with the Nigeria Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and Directorate of State Services.

“Also, we will collborate with NGO Ambulance Service Providers, National Network on Emergency Road Services and the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency,” he said.

The corps marshal also said that the operatives would be charged with the responsibility of identifying alternative routes to assist motorists during gridlocks and give notification of traffic distressed areas for intervention.

He called on the motoring public to utilise all FRSC social media handles (facebook.com//frscnigeria,Instagram.com//frscnigeria and twitter.com//frscnigeria for necessary updates and in case of emergency, to call the 122 toll free number.

“The National Traffic Radio live lines are 08052998090, 09067000015 and 08052998012.

“These are available means to reach FRSC to report Traffic situations anywhere in the country,” he said. (NAN)