Why We Barred FRSC From State, Urban Roads – El-Rufai

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By AMOS TAUNA, Kaduna
Governor Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai of Kaduna State on Wednesday said the decision to bar members of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) from state and urban roads was borne out of complaints on numerous road checkpoints that end up causing accidents, instead of stopping it.
Speaking when he received the Corps Marshall of FRSC, Boboye Oyeyemi in his office in Kaduna, the governor said, “It was the decision of the State Security Council to ask men of the Federal Road Safety Corps to focus on the highway and allow state traffic regulation agency to man the urban roads.
“We did not ban road safety staffs or activities in Kaduna state, we have no such powers. The relationship between FRSC and our traffic agency should be complementary and not duplicated efforts.
“FRSC should concentrate on highway and state agency should focus on urban roads. If the Federal Road Safety Corps has been embarrassed; it is my duty to apologize.
“We look forward to training of our state traffic agency to highest international standard. We look forward to hiring a further 1,000 staff for the agency. Overloading is a big issue, a danger to those within and outside the vehicle. Tankers carrying firewood and other goods have become danger to our roads and citizens as well,” he observed.
The Corps Marshall, Boboye Oyeyemi, commended the state government for supporting FRSC in the state and for setting up Kaduna State Traffic and Environmental Law Enforcement Agency (KASTELEA), saying that there was need to train the members for effective application of traffic laws.
He said 16 states have set up state traffic agencies, noting that there was need to share responsibility with the state traffic agencies.
“The Federal Road Safety Corps had policy shift to focus on federal highway and allow states set up traffic management agencies.
“The Corps will then transfer responsibility of traffic control of the state and urban roads to the state agencies, while focusing on the federal highways.
“16 states have since set up their traffic management agencies and we are sharing responsibility by regulating their activities.
“I learnt that your state traffic agency started operation in January (2017), they would need proper training so that we can be on same page and work to remove recalcitrant drivers from the road and save more lives.
“We would do more regulatory work while concentrating on federal highways. I learnt what some of our boys did, you don’t need to worry, I would carry out major reorganization in FRSC in the state.
“We are setting up eight additional outposts along Kaduna-Abuja highway with four on Kaduna side; two will be sited along bypass, one at the train station and one at the airport.
“We are also setting up four more ambulance points along the road. I’m worried about overload which I have witnessed along Abuja-Kaduna road up to Kano, putting people in the boot with rams. I’m working on it but can’t leave Abuja always; you need to help us about it.
“The Doka Hospital is not equipped, we move crash victims to St Gerard Hospital and some of them die along the way. The hospital needs to be equipped to serve as a traumatic center, Kaduna State Government need to do something about it. Most of the crashes take place about 300 metres either side of the hospital because it is a long stretch of road which force drivers to over speed,” he said.

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