Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has deployed no fewer than 804 personnel to man major roads in Enugu State, especially transit and inter-state corridors.
FRSC Sector Commander in the state, Mr Joseph Toby, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Thursday that the personnel were made of 567 regular marshals and 237 special marshals.
Toby, who noted that the deployment was part of the ongoing “Operation Zero Tolerance to Road Traffic Crashes,” noted that the personnel would work 24 hours on the road corridors.
According to him, a total of 17 vehicles are already deployed for the operation, which include: 13 patrol vehicles, two patrol bikes, one ambulance and one towing truck.
He noted that the operation would last for 25 days, spanning Dec. 20 to Jan. 15, 2023, while the personnel would also be on traffic built-up and gridlock flash point roads and axis of the state.
The sector commander said that the corps’ towing trucks had started clearing all obstructions on the highways to ensure free flow of traffic.
“We are fully mobilised and charged for the task of ensuring smooth and hitch-free journeys for all Nigerians coming into Enugu State or using the state as a transit pathway to other states in the country.
“We are not just visible in all the major and strategic road corridors and gridlock flash points but we have our medical and rescue teams to attend to any Nigerian who might need emergency health or rescue services.
“Our major target is to ensure free flow of traffic, which is ongoing with the massive clearing of obstructions and broken down vehicles within road corridors in the state.
“However, we will not close our eyes to willful violation of the traffic rules or actions capable of injuring other road users or creating unnecessary hold-ups, where it should never be,” he said.
Toby also urged road users to be cautious and ensure that they tolerate and accommodate others, as they journeyed to reunite with their families and relatives in the state or country.
“One thing I want to appeal to our brothers and sisters in the South-East, since Enugu State is a major transit state, is for them to avoid night travel.
“The driver who holds the steering of the vehicle is also a human being and the force of nature can make him dose off at anytime while driving and the next story is accident.
“When a vehicle breaks down at night or there is health challenge among its occupants, it will be very difficult to get help in such late hours,” he warned.
NAN reports that the theme of this year’s operation is: “Avoid Speeding, Overloading and Unsafe Tyres to Arrive Alive.” (NAN)
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