Boboye Oyeyemi: Corps Marshall, FRSC

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says it has set up additional eight outposts and four ambulance points on the Abuja-Kaduna Road.

This is in furtherance of the planned temporary closure of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

The spokesman of the Corps, Mr Bisi Kazeem, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja that the additional formations were to enable the corps to effectively manage anticipated traffic increase on the route within the period of the Abuja airport closure.

“The newly established ones with the closure of the Abuja aiport are Idu Railway Station, which now has an outpost and ambulance point;

“Madalla with outpost; Tafa with an outpost and ambulance point; Jere with an outpost;

“Alheri Camp with an outpost; Barkin Ruwa with an outpost and ambulance point; Rugasa Railway Station, outpost and Kaduna Airport with an outpost and ambulance point.

“This has entailed us posting 27 officers and 65 marshals to these newly established outposts. And we have equally added a tow truck for removal of obstructions.’’

The spokesman explained that there five outposts on the Abuja-Kaduna axis before the additional eight were set up, thus bringing the total to 13.

The Federal Government had earlier announced plans to shut down the Abuja airport for a six-week period beginning from Wednesday to pave for maintenance work on its runway.

During the period, flights will be diverted to neighbouring Kaduna Airport from where passengers to or from Abuja will travel by rail or road, aviation authorities said.

The Abuja airport hosts about 11,000 passengers daily, according to Mrs Henrietta Yakubu, the Acting General Manager, Corporate Affairs, Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN)

The diversion of these passengers to the Kaduna airport is expected to put more pressure on the Abuja-Kaduna highway.

The FRSC spokesman appealed to motorists on the route to be patient with road safety officials and obey traffic regulations to avoid unnecessary crashes.

Kazeem said: “For the six weeks, we will be up and doing. We have established checks and balances to make sure that our men posted there are up and doing in order to achieve the ultimate goal of zero crash.

“We should reduce our speed while on this road because traffic will be heavy.

“We should make sure that our vehicles are maintained so that we don’t unnecessarily cause breakdown on that particular road and other traffic rules and regulations adhered to.

“We will go all out to enforce the law especially on speed limit, overloading, dangerous driving, wrongful and dangerous overtaking, phoning on wheels and drunk driving, among others.’’

Kazeem said the new formations would remain after the six-week period. (NAN)