Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has deployed no fewer than 35, 000 regular and special marshals across the country for the Eid el Kabir celebrations.
The mass deployment is aimed at ensuring safer roads during the festive periods and beyond.
Corps Public Education Officer, Mr Bisi Kazeem, made this known in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday.
He said that the corps had also deployed 736 patrol vehicles, 120 ambulances, 25 tow trucks and 204 bikes in the special operation that would commence from Friday, Aug. 9 and would last for a week.
The officer said that the special patrol operation became necessary due to the Corps’ commitment to its 2019 Corporate Strategic Goals of reducing Road Traffic crashes (RTC) by 20 per cent and fatality by 25 per cent.
“FRSC has a tradition of always organising special patrols during festive periods as a way of averting the chaos that characterise the road during celebrations.
“As such, this year’s Eid el Kabir will not be an exemption.
“Motorists must endeavour to avoid traffic violations and remain conscious of their safety to avoid not only arrest and prosecution by members of the corps, but falling prey to avoidable road crashes.
“The mission of the special operation is to ensure free flow of traffic, provide prompt rescue services and timely clearance of obstructions on all major roads and critical corridors across the country before, during and after the festive period.’’
Kazeem quoted the Corps Marshal, Mr Boboye Oyeyemi, to have directed commanding officers operating across various formations nationwide to ensure that the 52 corridors were properly manned throughout the period of the operations.
He said that among the 52 corridors to be covered are Akwanga-Lafia-Makurdi, Jos-Bauchi-Gombe, Sokoto-Tambuwal-Jega-Birnin Kebbi.
Others are Katsina-Kano-Wudil-Dutse-Azare-Potiskum, Kaduna-Saminaka-Jos, Abuja-Kaduna-Kano, Okene-Ogori-Isua-Owo and Sagamu-Mowe-Lagos corridors.
The corps marshal also directed that the operatives pay first-rate focus on effective traffic control, wrongful overtaking, use of phone while driving and driver’s licence violation, among others.
The corps said it had deployed operational equipment in the categories of radar guns, breathalysers to check drunk driving. (NAN)