The Senate Committee on Federal Character and Inter-governmental Affairs, on Thursday, urged the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), to improve its emergency response times.
According to the Committee, chaired by Senator Allwell Onyesoh (Rivers East), the Corps’ delayed responses have contributed to the loss of lives and property, constituting an embarrassment to both the Corps and the Federal Government of Nigeria.
During the Corps’ familiarization visit to the Committee, Senator Babangida Hussaini, representing Jigawa North West Senatorial District, cited the Sallah eve Abuja-Kaduna highway accident, urging the leadership of the Corps to take deliberate steps to improve emergency responses.
Responding to the Committee, Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed, said that the FRSC was working assiduously to improve the current situation, noting that the lack of towing trucks has limited the Commission’s operations and appealed to the Committee for intervention.
Mohammed also mentioned plans to launch a phone application that would show black spots and alert users about crash-prone areas while traveling on highways.
According to him, the app will serve as a one-stop shop for all FRSC products and directives, providing significant information about road black spots, crash alerts, license renewal reminders, vehicle servicing, and other notable information.
He also pointed out that the Corps was set to leverage technology by equipping personnel with body cameras, implementing electronic booking, and reducing paperwork and costs, emphasizing a “zero tolerance” policy for fatalities in road crashes and highlighted a holistic approach to road safety, focusing on safer roads, vehicles, users, and post-crash care.
The FRSC’s boss stated that efforts were also in place to curtail the sale of alcoholic drinks on the roads and in motor parks while town hall meetings were planned to sensitize community leaders, residents, and transport stakeholders about the dangers of selling and consuming alcohol in these areas.
Furthermore, Mohammed suggested that the leadership could confer honorary marshal titles on members of the National Assembly to strengthen trust between the FRSC and Nigeria.
Senator Allwell Onyesoh assured the FRSC leadership of the Committee’s relentless support for their initiatives, adding that the Committee would advocate for improved funding for the Corps to enable optimal functioning.
Addressing journalists at the end of the meeting with the FRSC management team, Onyesoh said: “We had an interactive session with the Corps Marshal and his team. We reviewed the nature of our roads. We discussed on how to make the roads better for the end users.
“As you are already aware, he is new; he replaced the outgone Corps Marshal. So, he came around for an interactive session with us. We are the Committee that oversights the agency. They came to us for an interactive kind of relationship. That’s what we have just discussed. Our plan is that the roads become much better for Nigerians.
Also Speaking on the purpose of the visit, the Corps Marshal told newsmen saying: “I am here to thank the Distinguished Senate Committee, for the support they have been giving to the Federal Road Safety Commission and to intimate them on where we were before, where we are now and where we want to be.
“And the essence is to actualise our mandate of reducing traffic crashes on the Nigerian roads and also to create a safe and secure motor environment for all the people of Nigeria, to carry out their lawful duties across the country.”
