The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Bala Mohammed has called on the Federal Road Safety Corps to restrict the movement of heavy duty trucks and trailers in the FCT to reduce the carnage witnessed in roads in the city.
The Minister stated this while formally flagging off “Operation Sanity”, a patrol operation introduced by the FRSC to curb the increasing rate of road crashes as a result of recklessness on roads in the FCT.
The Minister said “I call on the FRSC and the Directorate of Road Transport Services to liaise with the FCT Administration to enforce the restriction of movement of tankers and trailers within the city at certain hours. On our own part as a responsible government, we shall continue in the pursuit of multimodal transport system to ease the pressure on our roads.
“We are going to have licensed taxis and Bus Rapid Transits, we can no longer close our eyes and see rickety vehicles operating in the city thereby constituting a menace and insecurity in the city.”
The Minister added that the ban on the operation of commercial motorcycles in the city is still on and called on the Police to refrain from using their motorbikes for commercial purposes as they are supposed to be involved in the enforcement of the ban.
He called on all stakeholders and other development partners to key into operation sanity as a way of further reducing road crash in the city.
“I recognize this pragmatic and proactive move by the Corps Marshal who is doing it out of sheer responsibility; it is not an operation for the FRSC, Police or the FCT Administration alone but an operation for all Nigerians.”
Earlier, in his opening address, Corps Marshall and Chief Executive of the FRSC Osita Chidoka said that the growing motorization and increasing human population are some of the major reasons for traffic congestion and crashes in the FCT.
He also described impatience, road rage and activities of security agencies that drive against traffic, drink driving, ineffective enforcement processes and individual attitudes as other factors for road crashes.
“Operation sanity is an attempt to address some of these traffic challenges, reverse the trend and restore sanity on our roads.This operation is a partnership between the FRSC and the FCT Administration; it is a launch of a one month intensive enforcement patrol operation along major corridors of the FCT to compel motorists to obey traffic rules and regulations” the Corps Marshal added.
Continuing, he stated that “over 350 specially trained personnel have been deployed for this exercise accompanied with 16 patrol vehicles, 4 dedicated ambulances and 2 medium capacity tow trucks”.
He also said that the operation will take place 24 hours a day, 7 days a week throughout the duration of the assignment; mobile courts will be on ground to try traffic offenders as appropriate.
At the end of this exercise; according to Chidoka, “the outcome will be evaluated and communicated to determine options for sustenance”. He solicited for more assistance from the FCT administration in the area of provision of logistics in the operation.
Credit: Independent Reporter (Africa News)
19/10/11
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