FROM JEFFERSON IBIWALE, BENIN
The Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, has ordered the removal of all broken-down vehicles along all major Highways in the country within the next one week.
Speaking to journalists in Benin, Edo State on Tuesday, the corps marshal of the agency, Boboye Oyeyemi, said the directive was issued to ease the movement of vehicles on the highways and prevent accidents
The FRSC chief executive officer, spoke during activities marking its week-long “Operation Shield Number Four,” aimed at reducing road accidents by 15% and fatalities by 25% by the end of the year.
Represented by Austin Aipoh, assistant corps marshal in charge of administration and strategy, Zone RS2, Oyeyemi said the event is held periodically to identify routes that are still prone to accidents so that enlightenment programmes can be designed for users and drivers on such roads.
The FRSC boss identified Benin – Asaba, Lagos – Ibadan and Abuja-Okene expressways as routes where motorists continue to exhibit indiscipline in driving in zone RS5, which comprises Edo, Delta and Anambra states.
“During the week-long operation which commenced on Monday and ends Saturday, we have deployed 20 personnel and have increased the logistics support to augment the marshal and officers who are to man the Benin-Asaba route identified as one of the routes drivers exhibit lack of discipline,” Oyeyemi said.
He said that that the public enlightenment programme would focus on the discipline on the part of drivers behind the wheels, as well as over-speeding, overloading and wrongful overtaking.
“We have met with transport companies in this regard and hope that after the one week operation, the various units and commands will carry on with the exercise’’, he said, adding that “while we are going to improve on the enlightenment aspect of the operation, we are also going to ensure that we sanction erring motorists to serve as deterrent to others,” he stated.
Oyeyemi said further that the FRSC had set up mobile courts along major highways that would instantly try traffic offenders.