The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Bayelsa Command has called for support and collaboration of stakeholders in tackling and reducing the rate of Road Traffic Crashes (RTC) caused by over-speeding.
Mr Wobin Gora, State Sector Commander, made the call in Yenagoa during one of it occasions marking the on-going fourth United Nations Global Road Safety Week.
The sensitization/awareness programme to reduce traffic, congestion and accidents on the highway is tagged “Managing Speed: Save Lives, Slaw Down.”
The state road safety commander, Gora reiterated that commuters must undergo lecture on safety because little mistake on the road could result in the death of drivers, passengers and pedestrian, adding that
the seminar is apt as it is targeted to effectively campaign against high speed and redress the case of accidents on the road.
Gora said that the collaboration of the stakeholders, which include the security agencies like the police, army, custom, prison officers, and Civil Defence as well as government officials, became necessary to make the road safer.
He however noted that reducing speed had become a top priority given the fact that most road crashes were caused by over-speeding.
“According to the world Health Organisation (WHO), over 33.7 percent persons lost their lives as a result of reckless driving thereby decimating the nation’s population by 30 percent annually.
“Nigeria is one of the countries with the highest number of fatalities in Africa; as result of these fatalities, WHO tagged Nigeria a “Health Concern.”
“The FRSC in its mitigating efforts to tackle the menace of road crashes, on Feb. 1 begun the enforcement of the installation of Speed Limiting Devices (SLD) in commercial vehicles,” he said.
A stakeholder, Brig.- Gen. Kevin Aligbe, Commander, 16 Brigade in Bayelsa, commended the operations of the FRSC in the country and promised continuous support with the Commission to reducing fatalities.
Aligbe, represented by Lit.- Col. Olusegun Otenigbagbe, Garrison Commander, 16 Brigade Garrison, noted that obeying the traffic rules and regulations would go a long way and urged the motoring public to abide by the rules.
Mr. Victor Uche, Controller of Bayelsa Prison Command, also pledged support to FRSC operations in the state and Nigeria at large.
and then