The Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Boboye Oyeyemi, has expressed dissatisfaction with the current crash rate in the country.
Oyeyemi stated his position despite the fact that there has been drastic reduction in the crash rate when compared with the statistics of 2015.
According to the Head Media Relations and Strategy of the Corps, Bisi Kazeem, the Corps Marshal, while deploying 20,000 personnel, 697 patrol vehicles, 283 motorbikes, 76 ambulances and 22 tow trucks for the Sallah patrols, opined that analysis showed that from January to August 2015, a total of 5,953 crashes were recorded involving 39,119 people in which 3,233 of them died and 17,189 others were rescued alive, within the same period in 2016, 5,707 crashes were recorded involving 38,222 people out of which 3,048 died and 17,446 others were rescued alive.
Other comparative analysis with regard to the Eid El Kabir traffic revealed that the Corps recorded a total of 94 crashes involving 767 people out of which 44 died and 312 others were rescued alive.
Within the same period, 8,004 offenders were apprehended for 9,045 offences.
In the words of the Corps Marshal: “Between January to August 2015, the Corps apprehended 339,551 offenders for 376.391 offences compared to 421,816 in the same respects, in 2016.”
Oyeyemi lamented however that the Corps’s interest is free will compliance to road traffic laws and regulations and does not consider the upsurge in arrest as a positive.
Kazeem stressed that the Corps Marshal has, however, noted that the success of the Corps is attributable to the findings of recent survey conducted on public understanding of the Corps’ functions and consequent support base, which showed an increased from 51 per cent and 52.3 per cent in 2015, to about 57 per cent and 59 per cent in 2016.
He stated that the Corps Marshal acknowledged the role of opinion leaders and decision makers in the strides the Corps has made so far.
According to him, the Corps Marshal stated thus: “The Corps has been able to engender unprecedented understanding and support from religious organizations, traditional rulers, Federal Ministry of Power, Works and Housing, Standards Organization of Nigeria, NADDC, NUPENG-PTD, RTEAN, NURTW, and NARTO who have all taken their places as stakeholders in the road safety endeavours by resolutely supporting the Corps in all ramifications.”
In view of the foregoing, the Corps has relocated Deputy Corps Marshals and Assistant Corps Marshals alongside Corps Commanders to the field where they are expected to boost the morale of Officers and Marshals on ground for the 2016 Sallah Special Patrol, where particular attention will also be paid to critical corridors such as the Lagos-Ibadan and Abuja-Kaduna Expressways as well as the East West Road.
The Corps Marshal used the opportunity to remind motorcyclists and pedestrians of the need to be more vigilant while making use of the road.
He stressed that motorcyclists must use their safety helmets and comply with all traffic regulations.
He also called on Pedestrians to make use of the Pedestrian Crossing facilities, that is markings and bridges, to avoid being knocked down or run over.