Transportation

Easter: Ensure full compliance with traffic regulations – Dr Oyeyemi

By Web News 525

The Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi has felicitated with Christians on the occasion of this year’s Easter celebrations, and called on all motorists to ensure full compliance with all road traffic laws.

He made the call in a statement issued by the Corps Public Education Officer, Mr Bisi Kazeem.

According to the statement, all personnel have been adequately briefed on the imperative of ensuring that motorists are made to drive in accordance with the stipulations of the Nigerian Highway Code and other regulations.

Dr Oyeyemi urged Christians to manifest love, care and obedience to established laws so as to portray the lessons of the season in a positive light.

He noted that the Corps will continue to sustain every arrangement already in place to ensure the safety of all road users, including aggressive public education campaigns and effective deployment of operational materials to enforce law and order.

He warned drivers to desist from all forms of overloading of vehicles either with persons, animals or with goods and excessive speeding among other bad road use behaviours.

While urging them to exhibit more tolerance and imbibe patience, the Corps Marshal further called on Nigerians to cooperate with law enforcement agents and ensure maximum compliance with all established rules so as to avoid the wrath of the law.

Dr Oyeyemi wishes all travelers a happy and safe celebration while urging them to call the FRSC call centre through the toll free line: 122 to report any emergencies.

Maxwell Oyekunle

News Analysis

Safe Driving During The Yuletide

By Web News 926

The yuletide season, like no other period of the year, triggers a surge in commercial and trading activities, hospitality, and travel services.

Entrepreneurs, who have strategically prepared for the yuletide sales fever, reap bountifully.

Travel and tourism service providers are also not left out.

With the holiday season, now in full swing, families and individuals are preparing for festivities and get-togethers.

Some are already set for interstate or oversea travels, to reunite with their loved ones and connect to the holiday cheer.

Unfortunately, as more people are eager to take these exciting road trips, there are increased chances of unlicensed drivers having the opportunity to drive; more people driving under the influence of alcohol as well as people who are excited about the season, prompting an increase in undisciplined and reckless driving.

Without mincing words, the season is also associated with a rise in road accidents.

In the statistics gathered by the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, a total of nine thousand two hundred and eighteen road traffic crashes occurred in the country last year, out of which three thousand one hundred and thirty four of the total incidents occurred in the last quarter of the year.

Similarly, the road safety agency also reported that thirty thousand, two hundred and forty-two people were injured, while four thousand six hundred and nine people lost their lives during the quarter under review.

The report showed that the carnage on the roads continued during the first quarter of the New Year, as holidaymakers return from the festivities.

The report attributed the major causes of these accidents to speed violation, loss of control, dangerous driving, wrongful overtaking, and tyre blowout. 

It is against this backdrop that Federal Road Safety Corps embarked on sensitization programmes to educate and inform motorists on safe driving during the yuletide.

In the words of the Public Education Officer of the corps, Bisi Kazeem, the agency had deployed thirty-six thousand personnel to control the free flow of traffic during the festive period.

The corps officer advised drivers to make sure that their vehicles are in good working condition before departure. 

It is necessary that drivers should also wear seat belt, pull off the road when tired, obey the rules of the road and to always be with their driver’s license and plan their routes properly to allow enough time to reach their destination.

Rasheedah Makinde

Transportation

Corps Marshall Urges Stricter Compliance With COVID-19 Measures

By Web News 579

Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi has tasked commanding officers to intensify awareness campaign on COVID-19 precautionary measures in motor parks nationwide.

This is contained in a statement in Abuja by the Corps Public Education Officer, Mr Bisi Kazeem.

Mr Kazeem urged officers to brace up, and be more proactive to ensure immediate deployment of personnel for aggressive sensitization of the motoring public on the need to observe maximum safety measures in the face of the recent threat of the second wave of COVID-19 in the country.

Mr Kazeem stated that fleet operators must endeavour to ensure strict compliance to all directives given by the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 including provision of running water, hand washing equipment and hand sanitisers both in parks and terminals in the vehicles.

He said, “as the corps commences this year’s end of year special patrol towards a successful Christmas and new year celebrations, the corps would not relent in its commitment to a safer motoring environment”.

The FRSC Public Education Officer noted that creating understanding and enforcing compliance with the rules was strategic to achieving the required success.

Mr Kazeem said drivers must be made to comply with every directive on physical distancing by carrying only one person at the front and not more than three at the rear seat of the vehicles. 

He said motorcycle riders should also carry only one person at a time so that occupants would be able to guard themselves and watch out for symptoms as they commute to their destinations.

Mr Kazeem equally stated that the Corps Marshal advised travelers to stay away from overloaded vehicles at all times no matter the urgency of their trip. 

He warned all vehicle occupants to always wear their seatbelts, put on their facemasks and ensure that they filled the passenger manifest before embarking on any trip.

Mr Kazeem cautioned FRSC personnel detailed on enforcement to treat road users with tolerance, civility, empathy and called on the public to report any noticeable noncompliance by any transporter to the Corps through the Toll Free emergency numbers 122 or 08052998090, 09067000015, and messages only 08052998012.

Rasheedah Makinde