Port Harcourt, Nov. 20, 2020 – Rivers Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has expressed worry over an alarming nation wide record of 2,656 Road traffic crashes resulting to 1,076 fatality between July and September 2020.
The state Sector Commander, Corps Commander Salisu Galadunci restated this in his address on Thursday in Port Harcourt during the official flag off of the 2020 Ember months campaign on safe roads and accident prevention.
The campaign tagged “Drive safe, Stay safe” was centered on further educating road users especially commercial vehicle operators on sound driving, vehicle maintenance, covid-19 protocols adherence and general safety attitudes on Nigeria roads.
Galadunci warned against distractions while driving as he said that most road accidents were largely traceable to lack of concentration amongst other road traffic offences, hence the alarming road accident recorded this year which fell within the covid-19 lockdown period.
“Driving requires applying all the sense organs in the human body, to drive safe, a driver needs to concentrate to avoid distractions, driving against the flow of traffic, overloading and even engaging in long discussion while driving could cause very serious distraction that could result in accidents,” he said.
The FRSC boss however, commended the Rivers state government on commitments to construction of internal roads and flyovers especially within business areas of the Port Harcourt metropolis adding that the move would largely eliminate the challenge of gridlock within the city.
He thanked the state government for donating some JAC pick up vehicles to help strengthen operations of the command and also reminded the government on plea by the command to be assisted with a 70 ton Tow Truckruck to assist speed up removal of broken down heavy duty vehicles within Port Harcourt and its environ.
Responding, the Rivers State Governor, Gov. Nyesom Wike, represented by the Commissioner for Transportation Mr Osima Ginah thanked the command for commitment to safety of road users.
The governor pledged continued support and partnership with the command in ensuring that issues associated with gridlock and safety in the state is given adequate attention.
Wike also urged the command to assist in ensuring total enforcement on the ban by the state government of Tricycles.
The ban affected 19 major roads within the Port Harcourt necropolis, this was part of efforts to wards eliminating gridlock and promoting safe roads in Port Harcourt
Also, a representative from one of the operating transport company Mr Anthony Ukpana, Manager, Agofure Motors, Waterline loading bea in Port Harcourt has commended the FRSC for the sensitization adding that it would help the company step up necessary measures for enforcement of safety rules in its garage.
He also attributed current increase in fare to increase in petrol pump price and adherence to the covid-19 social distancing rule.
According to him, “Before now, we charge N2,500 each for 15 passengers from Port Harcourt to Warri but presently, instead of 15 passengers we load 9 only passengers with a fare of N3,500 each.
Meanwhile, some passengers have lamented poor state of the East-West road and urge the federal government to ensure speedy construction of the Port Harcourt/Bayelsa road especially the portions affected by recent flood.
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