…Warns against overloading, over speeding
BY ADEYEMI AKANJI, BAUCHI – In a bid to ensure an accident free Christmas and New Year celebrations, the Zone Rs.12 of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), comprising Bauchi, Borno and Yobe States has deployed 1,300 personnel on all Federal Roads in the affected states.
This is as the Corps warned motorists plying federal roads in the Zone to adhere to all traffic regulations especially in the area of over speeding, overloading and night travels.
Zonal Commanding Officer, Zone Rs.12, Assistant Corps Marshal (ACM) Rotimi Adeleye, announced this while speaking with journalists at the FRSC Zonal Headquarters, Bauchi on the safety arrangements put in place by the Corps during the festivities.
Adeleye said that the Corps has launched ‘Operation Zero’ programme for the Yuletide as directed by its headquarters which started on December 15, 2020 to end on January 15, 2021.
He explained that it is an annual programme that the FRSC engages in in order to ensure that there are safer motoring period during the Yuletide.
Adeleye said: “This is aimed principally at reducing road traffic crashes. And this time around, we will have to enforce the compliance of COVID-19 protocols as it relates to road transport and we have to also ensure that there is prompt response to road traffic crashes of victims.
“We will also embark on removal of obstructions from the highways in order to ensure a free flow of traffic. We are conscious of the fact that the location of market tends to move towards the highways and we are having discussions with the leaders to ensure that markets are moved off the highways for free flow of traffic.
“We have cancelled annual leave of all our personnel, every staff of the Corps is expected to be on ground in his station and there is no further issuance of leave or pass. They will be on ground and will be fully utilized.
“Within Bauchi environment alone, we are deploying close to 450 personnel for this exercise. When you move down to Yobe State, we are deploying all the units that are there, so we also have close to 450 while in Borno, we have about 400 personnel”, he explained.
“In this area, there is need for us to be security conscious, all our Officers and Men have been fully briefed on how best to work so that we will not find anyone wanting,” he said.
Adeleye warned that the FRSC zero tolerance for corruption among its operatives is still being enforced stressing that any officer and or men caught extorting motorists particularly during the Yuletide will be made to face the full wrath of the law.
