April 30, 2018

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) recorded 1,945 road accidents across the country in the first quarter of 2018, according to its Corps Marshal, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi.

Oyeyemi made this known at the first quarterly strategy session with Zonal Commanding Officers and Sector Commanders of the Corps in Abuja on Monday.

He said that the 2018 figure represented a 13-per-cent reduction in accident cases compared with the same period in 2017 in which 2,240 accidents were recorded.

According to him, there was also a corresponding decline in the number of people killed within the period at 1,079 in 2018 against 1,297 in 2017.

The corps marshal stated that whereas 7,506 persons were injured between Jan. 1 and March 31, 2017, the figure dropped to 6,664 in the same period in 2018, representing 11 per cent reduction.

Source: FRSC/NAN News Lab.[/caption]

Opeyemi described the improvement as gladdening, noting that it showed that the FRSC was on track in achieving its 2018 strategic goals, which include 30-per-cent accident-reduction target.

“It is left for this session to critically look at the areas of strength and weaknesses and device measures that could address the gaps.

“You must remain resolute in pursuing the goals in the remaining quarters for overall success at the end of the year,’’ he said.

The other goals are enhancement of communication, improvement in enforcement and rescue services, enhanced professionalism and promotion of the ease of the doing business.

The corps marshal outlined some measures already taken to actualise the goals as organisation of special patrols during festive periods and creation of more zebra crossings.

On staff discipline, he said that FRSC management had punished staff that violated the disciplinary codes of the Corps, while those that distinguished themselves were being rewarded.

Oyeyemi explained that the strategy session was an avenue for the FRSC top echelon to review the operational and administrative activities of the Corps in the first quarter and come up with measures for improvement.

Addressing newsmen on the sidelines of the forum, Chairman of the Federal Road Safety Commission, Mr Bello Bukhari, lauded the management, officers and men of the Corps for their commitment.

Bukhari, however, urged the zonal and sector commanders to step up enforcement of traffic laws on the nation’s highways and discipline among their men.

On what the commission is doing to check incessant attacks on FRSC marshals, especially by personnel of the military and security agencies, he said the board was engaging heads of concerned agencies.

He added that the commission was also working with policy makers to make the FRSC Act more effective to address the issue.