FCT unsafe for road users because of recklessness ― FRSC

The Federal Road Safety Corps has expressed concerns about road rage and recklessness by motorists in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, as it has mapped out strategies to check the menace.

Zonal Commander Zone 7, Mr Jonas Agwu, condemned what he called “increasing spate of recklessness” resulting into avoidable crashes with attendant loss of lives, noting that from the investigation, excessive speeding is the major cause of the crashes both within the FCT and in Niger State involving both commercial and private vehicles.

He spoke, on Thursday, when on a courtesy visit to the Abuja Bureau of Nigerian Tribune, where he was received by the Head, Northern Operations and Abuja Bureau Chief, Mr Sanya Adejokun and other staff members.

Agwu who noted that Abuja has become an unsafe place for road users because of recklessness warned that the Corps would in this year 2021, strengthen enforcement and prosecution of offenders with active collaboration of police and judiciary.

“When I came in and I saw the AIG (Assistant Inspector General) of Police, we agreed that Abuja has become unsafe place road users because of recklessness. Now that we have ended 2020, the #EndSARS has calm down, we are going to sit down on a joint collaboration with the police and tidy up how we can use the judiciary to strengthen our enforcement,” he said.

He said the Corps would also collaborate with the police on the prosecution of violators of COVID-19 protocols of physical distancing and wearing of face masks, saying motorists still overload vehicles this putting the lives of passengers in jeopardy.

He said another worrisome trend was people exhibiting lack of knowledge of the rules of the road, observing that many people exhibit arrogance because they own a car and often time do not see the need to share the road with other users.

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He said some of the crashes leaves one with the imagination of why there should be such horrendous accidents in a capital city with good road network, adding that the Corps Marshal of FRSC, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, has also charged the personnel to tackle the issue of overloading.

“The third concerns which the Corps Marshal has raised is the issue of non-compliance with COVID-19 protocol. Vehicles are still overloading and not respecting the need for social and physical distancing. People feel that all they talk about COVID-19 is fake.

“These are some of our worries. Last year, when we have similar worries, we came up with some interventions. I initiated Operation Panther, meant to increase our visibility and enforcement. We also followed up with Operation Akaeze, in the reflection of the incident that happened in Akaeze in Ebonyi state, where close to 27 deaths were recorded,” he said.

He said the Corps would also enforce passengers’ manifest law adding that instead of re-inventing the wheel, both operation Panther and Akaeze that looked at the use of phones while driving, unlicensed drivers, driving under the influence of alcohol, and overloading would be strengthened.

He, however, said the new strategy was to involve the media, Banks and Financial institution and a good number of government offices, among others, in the FRSC public education campaign.

Accordingly, he said the Zone 7 that he is overseeing comprising FCT and Niger State would beginning from this first quarter, embark on Driving Safety Awareness Campaign targeting the media, Banks and Financial Institutions, government offices, where in-house training for various media organisations around FCT would be trained on causes of road crashes, effective driving techniques among others.

“Besides reporting a journalist is also the user of the road and must be conversant with the laws to avoid losing his life in the process. These are strategies we hope to employ in 2021to raise safety consciousness and if safety consciousness increases, there would be a reduction in vices such as speeding, use of phones while driving, overloading, recklessness and consequent reduction of accidents and deaths.

In his response, Head, Northern Operations and Abuja Bureau Chief, Mr Sanya Adejokun, assured the Zonal Commander and his team that the management of Tribune titles would continue to give FRSC all the support needed to reduce road carnages in the country.

He noted that the relationship between Nigerian Tribune Newspapers and FRSC dates away back and that the effort of the Corps to provide safety on the highways “is not about you but for us-for our public, family members as you have said, nobody is immune to crashes.”

Adejokun commended Agwu for always identifying with the media, a constituency he left years ago to join the services of the FRSC, where has risen through ranks to become an Assistant Corps Marshal.

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FCT unsafe for road users because of recklessness ― FRSC