No fewer than 35 rickety vehicles plying roads in Edo have been impounded by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Edo Sector Command.
Mr Henry Benamaisia, the Sector Commander, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Benin.
Benamaisia said this followed the commencement and enforcement of the special operation on rickety vehicles, in accordance with the FRSC strategic goal.
According to him, the strategic goal is targeted at reducing crashes by 15 per cent and fatalities by 20 per cent.
“In accordance with the FRSC strategic goal which is targeted at reducing crashes by 15 per cent and fatalities by 20 per cent, the corps marshal directed a continuous special operation which commenced throughout the state in March.
“The operation is aimed at ridding the roads off rickety vehicles.
“The presence of rickety vehicles on the road has been identified as one of the factors responsible for crashes and obstruction to the free flow of traffic on the highways and inter-urban routes.
“The free safety checks embarked on periodically by the corps is intended to ensure that owners of such vehicles carryout the necessary repairs as and when due.
“The preponderance of rickety vehicles on the highways shows that there is need to focus more attention on them as the free safety check has proven to be good, but not enough to rid the highways of non-roadworthy vehicles, ” he said.
The sector commander also disclosed that all operational facilities available to FRSC in the state had been deployed to ensure the success of the operation.
He explained that these include patrol cars, tow trucks and other enforcement tools together with massive turnout of operatives across the state.
He added that this was with a bid to stamp out the rickety vehicles from the highways.
“The special operation which is for two weeks in the first instance would bring sanity to our roads.
“The special operation on rickety vehicles will equally attract clamp down on other offences, such as over loading, driving with one head lamp, worn out tyres, unlatched containers and number plate violations.
“This operation will be a continuous one until our roads are rid of rickety vehicles.
“In view of the foregoing, public enlightenment to media houses as well as public and private parks in the state have been intensified,” he said.
Benamaisia called on owners of rickety vehicles to take their vehicles off the roads until necessary repairs were done
(NAN)
