Eid-el-Kabir: FRSC to deploy 210 personnel in A’Ibom

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says it will deploy 210 personnel across Akwa-Ibom State for the forthcoming Eid-el-Kabir celebration to enhance safety on the roads.

The Akwa Ibom Sector Commander, Mr Oga Ochi, disclosed this to newsmen in Uyo on Monday, while speaking on the agency’s preparation for celebration.

According to Ochi, the command will put personnel and equipment in place to cope with the increase in traffic during the period.

“Our activities start from July 29 till Aug. 8. We have a total of 210 personnel; we know that there will be high volume of traffic on all roads in the state.”

“We are demanding that everybody should be patient, speed should be reduced.”

“We are taking specific note of the Calabar-Itu road which has been a nightmare,” Ochi said.

The sector commander said that the command had established a unit at the head bridge where personnel would be stationed 24 hours.

Ochi said that the command had approached some construction companies in the state to be on standby in case of emergency

He said they were to assist the corps with towing truck, to remove vehicles that broke down on the road.

On compliance to COVID-19 protocols by travellers and transport owners in the state, the sector commander said 171 defaulters had been arrested across the state.

He said that the defaulters were arrested for overloading their vehicles against the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and World Health Organisation (WHO) standard on social distancing.

“For the past one or two weeks, in the whole of Akwa ibom State, we have 171 defaulters that were arrested basically for overloading their vehicles.”

“The attitude of people not believing that there is COVID-19 is the major problem.”

“Those that have been complying are now relaxing because people believe that there is no COVID-19.”

“You know we now insist that they should carry 50 per cent of their capacity to give room for social distancing.”

“They are now saying that the general public is complaining of the increase in the transportation fare.”

“So, those are the two factors affecting the compliance,” he said.

The sector commander appealed to all road users to be cautious during the rainy season, reduce their speed and drive safely.