Over 1,350 personnel, including special marshals of the Federal Road Safety Corps, have been deployed to ensure hitch-free Eid-el-kabir celebration across Nasarawa State.
The state Sector Commander, Lucie Mhii, told THE WHISTLER pn Saturday that the command had put necessary measures to control road mishaps during the event. Recall that the federal government declared next Monday and Tuesday as public holiday to celebrate the event.
Mhii commended the synergy between the command and various critical stakeholders in the state aimed at ensuring safety across the state.
She identified the causes of road mishaps during festivals as overloading, excessive speeding, driving under influence, and route violation, warning that violators of road rules would be punished according to stipulated rules.
She said, “The command has engaged with stakeholders, including National Union of Road Transport Workers, NUPENG, NARTO, MTUN, sister agencies, religious leaders, traditional leaders, and the Nigeria Bar Association to enforce compliance and mitigate road traffic crashes.”
She added that the command had organized sensitization campaigns to educate road users on the importance of being law-abiding to avoid constituting road nuisance, adding that it adopted effective communication methods, including using indigenous languages, as well as pidgin to drive home the safety campaign.
According to her, “Over 900 operatives have been deployed across all FRSC formations within the state, and approximately 400 special marshals to ensure a safe motoring environment during the Eid celebration.
“The objectives include reducing road traffic crashes, fatalities, and injuries, prompt response to victims, and unhindered obstruction from the highway. Aggressive enforcement, including mobile court operations, has begun to check offences, such as speeding, dangerous driving, and overloading.”
THE WHISTLER gathered that the command also deployed operational vehicles, ambulances, road side help areas, zebra points for swift crash response, and re-equipped its road traffic clinic at Shabu. A situation room was also established at the FRSC Command, Lafia, to monitor and respond to incidents, our correspondent gathered.
The sector commander urged the public to report any excesses by drivers, emphasizing the importance of collective efforts in ensuring a crash-free celebration.