The Edo command of the FRSC has deployed 1,250 personnel for special operations during the Easter celebrations and the oncoming National Sports Festival.
The two-week National Sports Festival begins on Saturday, April 4.
Henry Benamaisia, FRSC’s Edo Sector Commander, told newsmen in Benin on Thursday that 25 vehicles including 19 patrol vehicles had also been deployed.
Also deployed were three ambulances and three recovery vehicles, he said.
He said the personnel deployed for the Easter special operations included regular and Special Marshals.
“Easter activities necessitate travels across the nation thus resulting in high traffic volume.
“Consequent upon the anticipated high volume of traffic, Road Safety headquarters to ensure hitch-free and quality travel time on the highways,’’ he said.
The sector commander also said that the objective of the operation was to enhance the corps’ visibility on the highways to ensure reduction in crashes and possible fatalities.
“It is also to ensure strict enforcement of road traffic laws and regulations and rescue operations in the event of emergencies.
“The exercise also aims at clearance of obstruction, result-oriented public education and enlightenment and enforcement of COVID-19 health safety protocols,’’ he said.
Benamaisia added that the duration of the Easter special patrol began on March 31 and would end on April 7.
He said strategy to be employed included traffic calming and ensuring lane discipline.
Other strategies, he said, included motorised chain patrol, 24-hour standby rescue and recovery services and unrestrained public enlightenment.
“Our critical enforcement targets include speeding, dangerous driving or wrongful overtaking, lane indiscipline and route violation, road obstructions and use of cell phone while driving.
“Others are overloading, seatbelt usage, child restraint use violation, passenger’s manifest violation and operation of mechanically deficient and rickety vehicles.
“Refusal to latch loads on haulage trucks, twist-locks violation and illegal use of spy number plates, are also included,’’ he said.
He said the Command would work in collaboration with other sister agencies for effective enforcement of road safety regulations.
He stressed that the collaboration would ensure adequate security arrangements to frustrate “unfriendly forces’’ like armed robbers and kidnappers.
Benamaisia listed other “unfriendly force’’ to include jobless dissidents, restive youths, political thugs, street urchins, correctional centres escapees and other criminal elements.