The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) said it had deployed 600 patrol vehicles, 15 tow trucks, 50 ambulances, 85 motor bikes and 20,000 personnel for patrol on the highways during the Eid-el-Fitr celebrations.
This is contained in a statement issued by the Head, Media Relations and Strategy, Mr Bisi Kazeem, in Abuja on Sunday.
It is said in the statement that the operation would take effect from July 3 to 7, 2016 as the massive deployment along designated routes was part of measures to ensure sanity on the nation’s highways and to curb road crashes in pursuant of the commission’s 2016 strategic goals towards improving road safety in Nigeria.
“This year’s nationwide exercise which is a partial fulfilment of the corps 2016 strategic goals of reducing road crashes by 15 percent and fatality by 25 percent, has become necessary to ensure safer road use, especially during the festive periods.
“The special patrol also entails intensive patrols, prompt rescue services, strict enforcement of traffic rules and robust public enlightenment campaigns across the nation.”
It added that operatives of the Federal Road Safety Corps would be deployed along designated Eid praying grounds as part of measures to ensure free flow of traffic.
The statement noted that part of the nationwide engagement plan was a massive deployment of personnel and logistics along 23 designated critical corridors and black spots such as: Lokoja to Benin to Auchi, Abaji to Lokoja, Abuja to Keffi to Akwanga to HawanKibo to Jos, Minna to Birnin Kebbi to Sokoto to Gusau to Funtua to Zaria, among others.
It is also contained in the statement that the 24 emergency ambulance response centres located at designated routes across the country would be operational
The centres include FCT, Kaduna, Gombe, Jigawa, Taraba, Niger, Kogi, Ondo, Edo, Osun, Nasarawa, Plateau and Kwara states.
The statement urged passengers to monitor their drivers and to contact the commission through toll free telephone lines, 122 and 070022553772 for prompt response.
