The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Ogun, on Tuesday, said it would deploy 1,500 personnel comprised of Regular and Special marshals for the 2019 Easter operations in the state.
Mr. Clement Oladele, the State Sector Commander, disclosed this during the first quarter 2019 sectoral retreat of the command held at its headquarters in Abeokuta.
The programme had as its theme “FRSC Intervention and Agreements: Implication and Preparedness”.
Oladele explained that the command would be patrolling all the corridors in the state, especially Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
According to him, the frequent traffic gridlock on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway is due to the construction ongoing on the corridor.
He said that the command had also deployed 25 patrol vehicles and five life support ambulances for the Easter patrol operation.
To cushion the discomfort of motorists travelling during the Easter festivities, he said the command had reached an agreement with the construction company, Julius Berger Plc, to open up barricaded sections of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway during the season.
Oladele said that the command recorded a total of 177 crashes in the state from January to March that led to the death of 102 people, including 10 children, while 473 others were injured.
“Road construction zones accounted for most crashes recorded in the state with grave statistics as this, the avoidable loss of lives and properties is a huge cost to government and our society, ” he said.
The FRSC Sector Commander said that the retreat was organised to further identify missing links and collectively find workable ways of improving traffic management in Ogun State despite the obvious challenges.
In his remarks, the Zonal Commanding Officer, FRSC Zone 2, Mr Samuel Obayemi, urged FRSC personnel to justify the Federal Government’s support and commitment to road safety.
Obayemi urged the personnel to ensure that road crashes were reduced to the barest minimum, and highways within the zone free of gridlock.
