FRSC expresses resolve to mainstream bicycle transportation

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has expressed determination to mainstream bicycle transportation as part of efforts to reduce road traffic accidents in the country.

Its Corps Marshal, Boboye Oyeyemi, stated this in Abuja on Monday at the opening of a five-day training programme on traffic safety of non-motorised transportation (NMT) systems organised for 22 FRSC officials.

Non-motorised transportation includes walking, bicycling, skating, wheelchair travel and other forms of human powered transportation.

Oyeyemi stated that apart from reducing accidents, bicycling promotes clean urban transportation and physical fitness.

He said FRSC had been in the forefront of the campaign for cycling as a means of transportation in the country over the years.

According to him, the corps has developed working documents, built collaborations with other stakeholders and rolled out several programmes including the National Bicycle Week as part of its advocacy.

He said the training, as sponsored by the Government of Netherlands through its embassy in Nigeria, was in furtherance of the corps’ efforts.

He further explained that the training would improve the knowledge of FRSC personnel on NMT to enhance the road traffic regulator’s advocacy and adaptation to safety.

“This is a certainty to propel attainment of the goals of the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety aimed at reducing road crashes and fatalities to 50 per cent by 2020.

“We need to promote this form of transportation because talking about climate change, Nigeria is signatory to the Paris Accord.

“So, we need to reduce greenhouse effects through control of emission control, and this is one of the ways to do this.

“There is no reason why I cannot ride bicycle from my house to the office which I will be doing once in a while.

“We should ride our bicycles – which is another form of exercise.’’

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Dutch embassy is providing both the financial and technical support for the training, which is in two phases.

In the first phase, eight middle level officers of FRSC underwent a one-week training on NMT in Netherlands from May 28 to June 3.

The second phase, which the corps marshal declared open at the FRSC headquarters in Abuja on Monday, was enlarged with additional 15 participants.

While thanking the Dutch embassy for providing the training platform, Oyeyemi solicited more support from Netherlands for non-motorised transportation in the country.

Mr Joop Goos, the consultant for the programme, said the training would involve classroom lectures and practical exercises to deepen the knowledge of the participants in NMT.

While noting that the expectations of the Dutch embassy were high, Goos urged the participants to make good use of the training opportunity.