Lockdown ease: FRSC arrests 4,235 drivers nationwide

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on Friday said that a total of 4,235 drivers were arrested for overloading of vehicles during the first phase of the gradual lockdown ease.

The Corps Public Education Officer (CPEO), Mr Bisi Kazeem disclosed this in an interview with our reporter in Abuja.

“The corps successfully recorded a number of arrests from May 11 to June 1. A total of 4,235 drivers were arrested for overloading of vehicles.

“Out of this number, 972 drivers were arrested for overloading their vehicles with goods.

“While a total of 636 were arrested for overloading their vehicles with both goods and passengers.

“Also a total of 2,627 were apprehended for overloading their vehicles with persons alone, bringing to a total of 4,235 in all.

“Meanwhile, in the course of the arrests, a total of 7,594 passengers were discharged to make way for adequate physical distancing in the vehicles, out of the 4,235 vehicles apprehended for conveying 17,614 passengers,” he said.

Kazeem noted that the corps had been able to evaluate performance in the last four weeks following the end of the first phase of the gradual ease of the lockdown.

He said that the corps was also able to identify areas of strength where significant achievements were recorded and areas where gaps existed.

Kazeem said that the corps had strengthened its capacity to address the identified gaps as quickly as possible.

He said that the corps would also sustain the tempo and to some extent, enhance the performance in the areas where it recorded huge success.

He noted that the corps was working in synergy with other security agencies through the instrumentalities of joint task force, mobile court operations and effective patrol operations.

Kazeem, however, said that collaboration was key to the success of the special patrol operations, saying that combination of the above strategies was expected to yield adequate result as expected.