THE Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on Sunday announced the completion of plans to flag off a special intervention initiative to enforce strict adherence to passengers’ manifest by commercial drivers.

The intervention codenamed ‘Operation Akaeze’ would commence from September 29 and is to be implemented four days a week — Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Enenu Ochepo, Superintendent Route Commissioner said in a press release.

Ochepo explained that the Special Intervention patrol would ensure that passengers travelling on inter-state journeys are mandated to authenticate their details in the Passenger’s Manifest.

He said the directive is based on Section 51(5) of the FRSC Act which stipulates that “All passenger-carrying commercial vehicles shall, before commencing on any intercity journey, must keep and maintain a passenger manifest indicating the names of its passengers, their addresses, their point of departure and destination, their telephone numbers, name and telephone number of the next of kin.”

Jonas Agwu, Zonal Commanding Officer overseeing the FCT and Niger state also noted the FRSC had observed that some passengers usually either give wrong details or refuse to fill the form while most commercial motorists do not comply with this directive.

“The manifest is expected to be filled before take-off at the motor parks, which contains the name, destination, address, phone number as well as the contact details of passenger’s next of kin,” he said.

Agwu explained that the easiest and proper identification of passengers in any case of an accident on the highway.

The officer urged passengers to always fill the manifest before taking off from the park.

“Compliance with passenger manifest during and after ember months will be useful in identifying travels and occupants of a commercial vehicle in the event of a possible road traffic crash,” the statement read.