The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says it has deployed 160 vehicles and four vehicles for traffic control in Badagry during the 2020 Eid-el-Kabir festivities.
The Unit Commander, Mr. Babatope Agbaje, disclosed this in an interview with the Newsmen on Tuesday, in Badagry.
Agbaje said the deployment was imperative to ensure the command met the demands of the period and safety on roads.
He said that the160 personnel, comprising officials and marshals from the unit, the outpost in Oko-Afo and the volunteers, would be on the roads throughout the festival.
“There are peculiarities with Badagry because the town is a tourist center and it is loaded with historical monuments for people to visit during this festive period.
“As an agency responsible for traffic management in Badagry, we are expecting that there will be an influx of people during the festival.
“We have been given a marching order to ensure that traffic rules and regulations are strictly observed during this period.
“To ensure that we meet the demands of the period, we in Badagry command have rolled out four vehicles and 160 personnel to deliver on the mandate.
“Why we are on the road is not for us to carry dead bodies, but to ensure that there are no fatalities, no crash, which is one of the goals of the Corps in the year 2020,” Agbaje said.
The unit commander said that the officials of the unit had engaged the unions of the commercial drivers and commuters on the need to abide strictly by COVID-19 traffic rules during the festival.
“The drivers should observe the Coronavirus protocol during the festive period.
“Drivers must use a face mask and ensure that their passengers also do throughout the journey.
“There should be the use of water and sanitizers at every garage, and they are to ensure there is no overloading. The instruction is that vehicles should be carrying 50 percent of their capacity.
“One passenger should be on front seat and two each on other seats at the back,” he said.
On the deplorable state of the Badagry expressway, Agbaje said that the agency had advised the relevant agency in charge of the road on the matter.
“One of our responsibilities as FRSC is to advise on the conditions of the roads and things that can guarantee the life and property of the people on the highway.
“The management has not relented on this effort, as we have written reports on the state of Badagry expressway and summited it to the relevant federal agency,” he said.
Agbaje said the command had mapped out black spots and accident-prone areas which would be manned strictly throughout the festive period.
He urged the passengers not to encourage drivers to exceed speed limits, but to drive safely.
Agbaje advised motorists to check their cars and make sure they were in good condition before proceeding on any journey during the festive period.
