Eid Al-Adha: Road Safety Corps to mobilize 1,300 personnel in Kwara state

About 950 personnel of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) are to be deployed to man various roads during the celebration of Eid-al-Adha festivities in Kwara State.

The Muslim festival, also known as eid-al-Kabir will take place on Wednesday, 28th June 2023 across the globe.

The FRSC listed those ready for deployment as 500 special marshals, 40 patrol vehicles, two power bike, four ambulances, four private owened tow-trucks and a 70 tonnes tow-truck.

The personnel, which comprise officers and men of the corps, are to monitor roads in strategic locations in the state for hitch free festivities.

In a statement issued in Ilorin, the Kwara sate capital, the state Sector Commander of FRSC, Fredrick Ade Ogidan, said the operation was targeted at achieving five percent reduction in road crash fatalities and injury in line with the number one corporate strategic goal of the corps for the year.

The Public Education Officer of the state command of the corps, Basambo Olayinka Busari, who issued the statement on behalf of the sector commander, said personnel of FRSC would be involved in traffic control at strategic locations within Ilorin township and major cities in the state during the Eid-El-Kabir special patrol scheduled from 26th June to 1st July, 2023.

The statement quoted the sector commander to have admonished the motorists and other road users to obey traffic rules and regulations.

Read Also:Road Safety Commission deploys officials ahead of Eid-Al-Adha Celebration

It also enjoined them to avoid excessive speeding, overloading, obstruction, use of phone while driving, passenger manifest violation, operation of mechanical deficiency and rickety vehicles, lane discipline/route violation, driving with worn-out tyres, driving without windshield wipers among others.

The statement noted that the corps will hold a public enlightenment campaign/mega rally in all inter-state motor parks, early morning cry and market advocacy to sensitize the motoring public in the state forthe need of free flow of traffic during the festivities.

It said the command would also carry out a special patrol operation/traffic control to ease the road congestion in Ilorin metropolis and all major roads linking the state.

The statement added that heavy tow-truck, ambulances and rescue marshals would be stationed along major highways within the state.

Meanwhile, the Kwara State Road Traffic Management Authority (KWARTMA) has mobilized 350 personnel to ensure free flow of traffic prior, during and after the Eid festival.

In his address, the Ag. Chief Executive Officer, CRTO Akeem Adegboye said the personnel were deployed across the length and breadth of the city to manage traffic situation.

The special operations will commence on Monday 26th June and end on July 3rd, 2023.

He stated that the Authority is aware of the imminent gridlocks that is associated with Eid festival.

In the same vein, the Authority will synergize with other sister agencies to enforce traffic regulations and sanction recalcitrant road users accordingly.

He further disclosed that the Authority is embarking on the special patrol operation to ensure motorists and other road users experience a hitch-free celebration amidst the rainy season.

According to the Ag. Chief Executive Officer 06 Patrol Vehicles, 02 Tow trucks surveillance team and other officers of the Authority shall be on the road during the special operation to enforce traffic regulations and evacuate broken down and abandoned vehicle that can cause chaos on the roads.

According to the Ag. Chief Executive Officer, maintaining law and order on the highway in this feast is a collective responsibility.

While wishing the people of kwara and muslim faithful in particular a blissful Eid celebration, the Ag. CEO implores all road users to be safety conscious and obey traffic regulations.