1 week ago
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Bisi Kazeem, the FRSC Deputy Corps Marshal, (rtd), has said that the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, has come of age in its 37 years journey as a lead Agency of the Federal Government created on February 18, 1988 to improve Safety on Nigerian Roads, having achieved the reduction of the number of RTC from the unacceptable 40,881 of 1976 down to 9570 in 2024 signifying 76% reduction in road traffic crashes in its 37 years of existence.
This record of achievement is given in an article written by Mr Bisi Kazeem and made available to DAILY INDEPENDENT to mark 37 years of the creation of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, revealing that a commendable 62.4% reduction in crash from 40,881 in 1976 to 25,792 was recorded within its first operational year in 1988 alone with the numbers reducing year on year, prompting him to say, “in this regard, it is instructive to state that the Corps is gaining grounds accordingly.”
Kazeem said, the Corps’ has being able to turn the ugly narrative of Road Traffic crashes in the early 70’s through its strategic intervention in line with Best Global Practices, especially those introduced by the present crop of leadership of the Corps’ led by CM Shehu Mohammed for its swift response to the incessant abuse of traffic rules, leading to the deployment of digital applications and the digitization of operations in FRSC to address certain life-threatening traffic-related offences. This singular step according to him has become instrumental to the decline in crash rate as commuters could now easily report drivers’ excesses, monitor speed violations as well as dangerous driving and report same to FRSC through the FRSC Mobile Application introduced by the Shehu led administration.
Kazeem stressed, it is in the administration of the present Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, that the Corps’ witnessed a tremendous push in the deployment of information technology in the work place, saying, “As a proactive measure, the Corps through its information and communication office embarked on a wide range of projects, many of which have been completed to drive safety initiatives by leveraging on qualitative inputs inherent in relevant soft wares and computer related programmes.
“Part of these initiatives is the introduction of Electronics Document Management System employed to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of documents and file management in the Corps; revamping the FRSC E-Dashboard portal for improved data accuracy and reportage; introduction of the National Crash Reporting Information System (NACRIS); development of FRSC staff post service scheme mobile and web application; deployment of the penalty point based system to enhance traffic law enforcement; upgrade of E-ticketing application for effective implementation of point based system as well as introduction of National Vehicle Information Inventory managements system.
“Under his watch, the Corps also embarks in consultation with stakeholders who have become more involved through the mechanism of the Special Marshals, Celebrity Special Marshals, and Road Safety Clubs. The total overhaul of deployment of FRSC personnel to Tank Farms has, to a large degree, dwindled the rate of crashes associated with articulated vehicles, particularly tankers carrying petroleum products. Through a rejigged Safe-to- Load initiative, articulated vehicle have been subjected to holistic checks before they are allowed to load from the various depots across the country with trained personnel of the Corps undertaken routine checks to ensure strict compliance.” He asserts.
He pointed out that the organisation which was specifically established and empowered by legislation to coordinate road safety administration and traffic management in Nigeria with an ultimate aim of halting the trend of road traffic crashes and fatalities on all roads (204,000km) in the country, and its Laws and Regulations can be exercised in any part of the country.
Saying, “To achieve this cardinal mandate of saving lives without compromise, the Corps’Marshall religiously chose the path of honour in efficient service conveyance, by delivering high quality services in line with a Quality Management Policy that is not at variance with other laws of the land in respect to road safety administration and management in the country. Unlike other agencies of government, the establishment of FRSC was in conformity with the lead agency concept recommended by the United Nations and World Health Organization, that member nations should dedicate an agency of government to lead in coordinating Road safety management as a best practice to combat the scourge of death and injuries from RTC.
“In its thirty-seven years as lead agency in traffic and safety management, FRSC has continue to record tremendous achievements in the area of traffic engineering, Road Safety Administration, traffic management, rescue operation, and crash reduction. It has achieved this glorious feat, as a result of a chain of leadership ingenuity that led to the fusion of the services of volunteers called Special Marshals and social responsibility groups in its programmes to enhance road safety management in Nigeria.” He added.
On the global scene, Kazeem said, FRSC takes the leadership role of West African road Safety Organisation (WARSO) as part of measures to scale up the bar on road safety management within the West African region. Further to this, the Corps has provided technical assistance to Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ethiopia, and others, earning the organisation awards both national and international especially during a workshop under the auspices of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where the FRSC was adjudged the best lead agency on road safety management in Africa, he affirmed.
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