The
Corps Marshal and Chief Executive of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Boboye
Oyeyemi has identified the World Bank assistance through the provision of
patrol vehicles, ambulances, motor bikes and tow trucks under the safe corridor
project, as responsible for the noticeable reduction in road crash
fatalities in the country.
Speaking
at the formal commissioning of 6 pedestrian bridges in the Federal Capital
Territory by the Minister of Works, Arc Mike Onolememe, the Corps Marshal
disclosed that logistic support from the World Bank has not only enhanced
the Corps visibility on the highways but also enhanced the Corps’ capacity
building through sponsorship of training programmes for FRSC staff within and
outside the country, thus resulting to a 11.7 percent reduction in road traffic
crash fatalities in the second and third quarters of this year.
He also
said that aside from patrol vehicles, tow trucks, ambulances, training
programmes, the World Bank has also remained committed to the safe corridor
project through the provision of items to enhance the Corps’ rescue services
such as radar guns, breathalyzers, extricating machines and other devices to
aid the FRSC in delivering on its mandate.
Still on
the pedestrian bridges, Oyeyemi expressed the Corps’ willingness to partner
with the Ministry of Federal Capital Territory to strictly enforce the
compulsory usage of the bridges as part of measures to reduce preventable
crashes associated with hit-and-run driving.
Earlier
in his presentation, the Minister of Works, Arc Mike Onolememen disclosed that
the construction of the pedestrian bridges in the FCT was one of the main
sub-components of the World Bank-funded Federal Road Development Project aimed
at reducing passenger travel time, vehicle operating costs and traffic-related
fatalities on targeted federal roads.
“To
maximize the use of these bridges and ensure their sustainability, enforcement
activities will be required. To this end, I implore the authorities of the
Federal Capital Territory Administration to set up enforcement activities
around the vicinities of the bridges” the Minister said.
In a
related development, the Corps Marshal has solicited the support of the
Nigerian Labour Congress to reduce the spate of crashes associated with this
year’s Ember season through sustained advocacy with the nation’s workforce
which make up majority of commuters on the nation’s highways.
Speaking
during a courtesy visit to the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress,
Comrade Abdul Waheed Umar, the FRSC Corps Marshal expressed his concern
over the depletion of the nation’s workforce as people within the age brackets
of 18 and 29 years are more affected by the menace of road traffic crashes.
He
therefore sought the collaboration of the Nigerian Labour Congress which is the
umbrella body of workers in the country, to complement the FRSC efforts towards
road crash reduction through consistent engagement with its members.
Similarly,
Oyeyemi indicated that the Corps has initiated several strategies in this
direction through a synergy with the Federal Ministry of Works to fill blacks
spots on the highways and construction of pedestrian bridges to reduce
fatalities resulting from hit-and-run driving in addition to an on-going
nationwide advocacy to commence the enforcement of maximum road speed limiters
on vehicles by 1st June 2014.
The
Corps Marshal also solicited the support of the Labour Congress to ensure
proper training of its drivers under the Driving School Standardization Scheme
(DSSP) before obtaining their driver’s license as part of measures to engender
decorum and sound driving culture among the nation’s workforce.
Responding, the NLC President, Comrade
Abdulwaheed Umar commended the FRSC’s remarkable achievement in the area
of road safety management through robust investment on Information
Communication Technology and sought the Corps’ partnership on ICT in order to
improve working process at the Labour Congress.
Stella Uchegbu
Corps Commander
Corps Public Education Officer
Additional
Information:
1.
Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC)
is the lead agency for road safety in Nigeria founded in 1988. FRSC website: www.frsc.gov.ng
- FRSC contact: Stella Uchegbu, Corps Public Education Officer,
08077690055, sa.uchegbu@frsc.gov.ng
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