Jethro Ibileke/Benin
No fewer than 900 operatives of Special Marshal unit of the Federal Road Safety Corps, have been deployed to highways in Edo State, to ensure compliance with safety regulations on the roads during the yuletide.

The State Coordinator of the Special Marshal, Friday Ekhator, who disclosed this to journalists in Benin on Thursday, said they have identified black spots within the Benin metropolis that could cause traffic congestion during the festive period.

Ekhator who said they are “saddened by the preventable road crashes recorded in the State in recent times,” noted that Special Marshals in the State have met and resolved to come up with plans to mitigate road crashes this festive period.

“The State is working out a good number of plans to ensure that we have safe motoring during the yuletide. The Corps has its goal to ensure that the roads are free for everybody to use, most especially this period when people are always in hurry.

“The Special Marshal unit has been able to put in place mechanism that will help reduce traffic congestion and to minimize carnage on our roads.
“We are deploying 900 of our personnel to the roads from between Dec 19 and Jan. 10. We have been able to break the city into groups, with not less than five Special Marshals assigned to these troublesome areas.

“Not only that; the FRSC regular units concerned have also been mandated to send to us patrol rosters to enable us know how they will key into this arrangement,” he said.

Ekhator, who decried the recklessness of motorists on the roads, assured that special marshals would continue with their strategy of “enlightenment that we have given them.

He however lamented that “there are situations where you talk to drivers and you expect them to obey you, but they try to humiliate you.

“But I can tell you that the Corps is working out means through which we can arrest and promptly prosecute such offenders,” he said.

Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone.