FRSC WILL SUSTAIN OPERATION ZERO TOLERANCE BEYOND FESTIVITIES, SAYS CORPS MARSHAL

The Corps Marshal and Chief Executive of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Osita Chidoka has assured that FRSC will sustain its ongoing operation zero tolerance beyond Christmas and New Year celebrations.

He disclosed this at the Niger Bridge at Onitsha, while speaking to reporters on his second foot patrol to monitor flow of traffic in the area.

According to the Corps Marshal, the essence of the operation zero tolerance was to address the perennial traffic gridlocks normally experienced in certain parts of the country during the yuletide and to deal with the general challenges of road obstructions and deaths that characterised the celebration.

He described as regrettable, a situation where despite the measures put in place by the Corps for crash and obstruction-free celebration, the nation still lost 177 lives  with 827 injured people in 269 road crashes involving 438 vehicles. This he said is unacceptable to the Corps, and to contain the ugly incidents, he said, the ongoing operation will be sustained even with greater aggressiveness.

“It is regrettable that we lost these lives within the period of 20 and 29 December. We know it could have been worse, but for adequate measures we painstakingly put in place. That is why I have directed that the operation be sustained, so that the nation could attain the targets of Accra Declaration, the UN Decade of Action for road safety and Nigeria’s economic development agenda of 20:2020,” he stated.

He further disclosed that to this end, there would be more aggressive public enlightenment programmes and enforcement of traffic rules in the New Year, while mobile courts would be organised in more commands across the states of the federation to bring traffic violators to book. “This is expected to reduce the observed recklessness of motorists on the highways,” he further stated.

The Corps Marshal commended other security agencies and relevant stakeholders in the country for their cooperation in the campaign, stressing that FRSC is committed to ensuring safer roads for all, but solicited the cooperation and support all to issues of road safety.
The theme of this year’s operation, “Operation Zero Tolerance: Activating the UN Decade of Action For Road Safety, 2011-2020,” was in line with the ongoing global campaign to reduce road traffic crashes and fatalities to the barest level, following the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s warning that road traffic crashes would become the third killer of mankind by 2020, if concerted efforts are not made by governments in collaboration with relevant stakeholders to tackle the scourge.

This year’s operation was formally flagged off on December 20, 2011 by the Corps Marshal and Chief Executive, with massive deployment of personnel, logistics and introduction of helicopters provided by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) and Nigeria Police Force (NPF) for aerial surveillance by the Corps Marshal, who is the Grand Commander of the operation, assisted by the Deputy Corps Marshal (Operations) and other principal officers of the Corps.

Aerial surveillance operation which was introduced last year was meant to achieve according to the Corps the Marshal, “Observation of traffic in different parts of the country at the quickest possible time and distance with prompt relay of directives on the observations made to the ground teams to achieve cohesive road management and smooth roads for all.”