The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says 1,042 patrol vehicles have been deployed for prompt removal of obstructions on highways across the country before, during and after Easter.

The Corps Public Education Officer (CPEO), Jonas Agwu, said in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja that this would help to ease movements on the highways.

Agwu said that the deployment was in line with the operational guidelines of the year 2024 Easter special patrol which would commence from Friday to Tuesday.

He said that the objectives of the operations were reduction in Road Traffic Crashes (RTCs), Road Traffic Fatalities (RTFs) and Road Traffic Injuries (RTIs).

He named other objectives as prompt response to RTCs victims, unhindered engagement in purposeful public education and speedy removal of obstructions from the highways.

Agwu assured members of the public that in achieving the objectives, the Corps would combine the engagement of the motoring public through purposeful and impactful public education programmes.

This, he said, would include strengthening of surveillance activities to regulate unprofessional excesses, sustained effective patrol operations as well as adequate monitoring on the highways.

“To this end, the Corps will carry out aggressive enforcement, including conducting over 200 Mobile Courts operations, with the aim of checking the traffic offences.

“Speeding and dangerous driving/overtaking, lane indiscipline/route violation, road obstructions, use of phone while driving, overloading and others constitute some of the offences.

“To achieve this, over 743 patrol vehicles, 184 administrative vehicles, 92 ambulances, 23 tow trucks and 144 motorbikes are being deployed as part of the patrol logistics,” he said.

Agwu said that reflective jackets, traffic cones, tyre pressure gauges, a number of extricating machines and digital breathalysers were also part of the tools set aside for the special operations.

He added that 23 Help Areas were mobilised to ensure prompt removal of obstructions, and rescue operations during the period.

This is in addition to the 15 traffic control camps which would  be dedicated solely to identifying traffic gridlock areas to be manned by FRSC personnel on daily basis.

According to him, for effective monitoring and prompt response, the Corps has put in place a Situation Room at the National Headquarters, to monitor the activities across the country.

“This is to collate and process information for dissemination to relevant commands and stakeholders as the case may be.

“This is in addition to 28 RTCs clinics and 53 Zebra points located along the major routes.

“This will be covered by 92 ambulances to be fully utilised for prompt response to crashes and rescue of injured victims to hospitals for more professional attention,” he said.

The FRSC spokesperson also directed the Commanding Officers to liaise with other strategic stakeholders within their operational areas to secure the needed moral, logistics and security support.

He identified some of the stakeholders as Military formations (enroute or resident); the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), (enroute or resident); Department of State Security Services (DSS) (enroute or resident).

These also include the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) (enroute or resident).

Commenting on the overall preparedness of the corps for the special operations, Agwu reported the FRSC Corps Marshal, Dauda Ali-Biu,  as expressing optimism that Nigerians would as usual, cooperate with members of the corps.

Ali-Biu urged the public to cooperate with other security agencies as well as volunteers who would come out to assist the corps in traffic management.

“Expectedly, with the massive deployment of personnel and logistics and the envisaged public support, I have confidence that the celebration will be a huge success.

“While reassuring the motoring public of FRSC’s renewed vigour towards entrenching sanity on the roads, I also wish all Nigerians safe and peaceful Easter celebrations.”(NAN)