The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), on Wednesday, urged motorists to drive within controlled speed and be patient with other road users during the yuletide.
The FRSC Zonal Commander, Mr Owoimaha Udoma, gave the advice in Enugu, while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the major road corridors he had monitored under the “FRSC Operation Zero’’.
Udoma, who is in-charge of FRSC Zone 9, comprising Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states, lamented the rate of impatience among motorists within the major road corridors.
He said that the high rate of impatience among motorists had led to lane indiscipline and driving against traffic, thus compounding the traffic situation in some major road corridors in the South-East zone.
“Motorists must learn how to exercise patience and accommodate other road users. This is what is required on our roads today. Motorists should realise that only the living celebrates and that the dead will never come home to celebrate.
“Your children, wife, relatives, well-wishers and friends are waiting for your safe arrival.
“So, there is the need for you to drive to stay alive; more New Year and festive seasons are still coming,’’ he said.
Udoma called on motorists to exercise `very little patience’ when FRSC personnel are removing broken down or dysfunctional vehicles on the road instead being impatient and driving against traffic.
He, however, lauded corporate transport companies for abiding by the COVID-19 protocols as stipulated by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
“I want to commend them for loading the appropriate number of passengers, ensuring that their passengers wear face masks and for ensuring that they are well spaced in their vehicles,’’ he said.
The zonal commander said that the regular and special marshals under the zone were prepared for the build-up of traffic on Dec. 31 for home-coming as well as Jan 4, Jan. 5 and Jan. 6, 2021, as many Nigerians return to their stations.
“We are fully ready; we have mapped out strategies and staff posting to the places where we anticipate slow down of traffic on these days,’’ he said.
Udoma thanked both the regular and the special marshals of the corps in the zone for their steadfastness and commitment to duty so far this season. (NAN)