The Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, said it 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 Bisi Kazeem, FRSC Head, Media Relations and Strategy, on Sunday in Abuja.
It said that the massive deployment along designated routes was part of measures to ensure sanity on the nation’s highways.
It said that the operation will take effect from July 3 to 7, 2016, 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 per cent and fatality by 25 per cent, 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,” the statement said.
It added that FRSC operatives 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.
The statement said that the 24 emergency ambulance response centres located at designated routes across the country would be operational.
It listed the centres to include FCT, Kaduna, Gombe, Jigawa, Taraba, Niger, Kogi, Ondo, Edo, Osun, Nasarawa, Plateau and Kwara states.
The statement enjoined passengers to monitor their drivers and to contact the corps through toll free telephone lines, 122 and 070022553772 for prompt response.
(NAN)
