The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says it is poised to monitor traffic along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and other highways to curb road accidents during the yuletide.
Mr John Meheux, the Zonal Commanding Officer, Ogun and Lagos, made the disclosure on Tuesday in Lagos.
Meheux said that in view of ongoing construction works on the roads, both regular and special marshals would be deployed round the clock to arrest vehicles that flout traffic rules and regulations during the monitoring.
“In Zone 2, we are paying much attention to the highways, especially the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway where construction are ongoing with reference to the diversions at Mowe and Ibafo in the Ogun corridor.
“Both the FRSC regular and special Marshals will be positioned 24 hours to monitor the traffic and arrest the offenders also on the Lagos-Ijebu-Ode route,’’ he said.
According to him, the corps will be strict on en-route violation on all the identified corridors during the yuletide.
The FRSC commander said that the corps was in touch with the stakeholders and construction companies to ensure that palliative works were promptly done at various portions of the roads before the end of the year.
Also, Mr Hyginus Omeje, the FRSC Lagos State Sector Commander, said that the sector had started rigorous safety campaigns in various Motors Parks across the state to create safer motoring environment during the season.
Omeje said that the campaign was in consonance with the corps’ mandate and a demonstration of unrelenting effort at stemming the trend of road traffic crashes.
“It has become part of us in FRSC that during this period of the year, the corps will double its efforts in actualising one of its core mandate of educating the motoring public.
“We sensitise them on proper use of the highway through robust enlightenment campaigns and at the same time, reinforce our patrol operations with prompt rescue services to traffic victims on the highways.
“We advise the drivers to shun alcoholic drinks and driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, overloading and dangerous driving,’’ he said.
FRSC had cautioned the motoring public over reckless driving as 1,054 people were killed in auto crashes within 33 months along the Lagos-Ogun routes.
The zonal commander had made the disclosure in his remarks during the “2018 World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims’’ in Lagos.
According to him, the zonal records in the last two to three years show the number of people involved and killed by auto crashes in various corridors within both states.
“In 2016, we recorded 828 road traffic crashes where 444 were killed and 2,364 injured.
“In 2017, 803 crashes occurred where 331 were killed and 2106 injured and in 2018, 644 accidents recorded 279 were killed and 1993 injured.
“We must see what we can do to ameliorate the crashes on the road and reduce the death as a result of the accident,” he had said.
According to him, the corps wants to see structures put in place to curb crashes and deaths on the roads.
