FRSC - SON Certifies FRSC on Quality Management System

[FRSC]

As the Federal Road Safety Corps fine tunes the deployment of 33,000 personnel for the Easter season, the Corps was yesterday certified on ISO 9001, 2008 quality management system by the Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) for consistent documentation of its processes and putting in place a quality manual which explicitly outlines its routine office functions and procedures.

According to the FRSC Corps Marshal and Chief Executive, Osita Chidoka during a courtesy visit on the Benue State Governor, with this certification, the Corps has become the first policing agency to have been certified in Africa and among 9 other agencies to have been certified in Nigeria for effective documentation of processes and routine functions, which has no doubt, impacted positively on road safety management in Nigeria.

On the FRSC plan for this year's Easter celebration, the Corps Marshal disclosed that the 33,000 personnel to be deployed include 18,000 Regular marshals who will be complemented by 15,000 Special marshals along critical corridors of the highway to ensure safer road use during the festivity.

He said that the Corps has concluded plans to flag off the nationwide patrol from 28 March to 2 April, as part of measures to cope with traffic peculiarities resulting from usual upsurge of vehicular and human traffic in the country, as people take advantage of the Easter celebration to travel from their places of sojourn to various ancestral homes.

He also said "this year's nationwide exercise has become necessary to reduce the spate of road traffic crashes in the country usually attributed to the perennial rise in the violation of traffic rules and regulations especially during festive season" adding that the exercise is an all inclusive exercise which will witness intensive patrols, prompt rescue services, strict enforcement of traffic rules and robust public enlightenment campaigns across the nation.

Details of the objectives of this special exercise include the removal of obstructions from the highways, traffic control/decongestion, public enlightenment campaigns through the distribution of safety handbills and other forms of awareness campaign in addition to strict enforcement of road traffic regulation infractions such as non-use of seat belt, use of cell phone while driving, route violation, overloading, drink driving, excessive smoke emission, speed violation, dangerous driving/ overtaking, light sign violation and other road vices.

In the same vein, road users are strictly advised to desist from night trips and to ensure that vehicles which ply the highways conform with safety standard such as functional head/tail lights, wipers, tyres, fire extinguisher, caution sign and non-defective windscreen.

Pursuant to this arrangement, patrol vehicles, motor bikes, tow trucks and ambulances along designated corridors and black spots such as Yangoji, Lokoja, Lagos, Benin, Ore, Jos, Potiskum, Bauchi, Lafia, Makurdi, 9^th mile and Kano .

Against this backdrop, motorists are hereby warned to ensure strict compliance with all traffic rules and regulations and proper maintenance of vehicles which ply the highways as there will be no waiver for any infractions by motorists. Passengers are equally enjoined to monitor their drivers on reckless driving; driving under the influence of alcohol and other road vices as any form of compromise may lead complacent persons to grave consequences.

The Corps Marshal also said that the Corps' mission during the nationwide exercise "is to ensure presence of FRSC operatives along all corridors of the nation's highways for effective traffic management and prompt response to road crashes". He added that the exercise "forms part of the Corps' vision to build a consistent tradition of enforcing traffic rules and regulations throughout the year to avoid a one-off approach to road safety management in Nigeria'

As usual, the Federal Road Safety Corps will sustain its collaboration with other law enforcement agencies towards ensuring a hitch-free Easter celebration even as uniform personnel are advised to abstain from flagrant abuse of road traffic regulations in view of inherent hazards.

Meanwhile, the FRSC wishes to reiterate its appeal to the Nigerian motoring public to report any road crash to the Corps' emergency ambulance response centres located at the old parade ground Abuja, Central Business District (opposite the Federal Secretariat, Abuja), Old and new city gates Abuja, Kubwa road, Keffi fly over, Yangoji, Sabon Wuse (Kaduna road), Koton Karfe, Barde junction(Kaduna), Mararaban Jama'a roundabout (Jos) and Kugbo market (Nyanya Abuja) or call the toll free line 122 and 070022553772 for prompt response to road crashes and any other traffic-related challenges.

The Corps Marshal also used the forum to solicit the corporate support of the Benue state government to address the spate of road crash fatalities which he attributed to speed violation and flagrant violation of traffic rules and regulations by motorists.

Speaking further, Chidoka recalled that the Corps has designed a national road safety strategy document which outlines the equitable function of the various tiers of government (Federal, State and Local) towards the addressing road safety matters in the country, adding that the final document will soon be presented to the National Economic Council.

In his response, the Governor of Benue State, Hon. Gabriel Suswam expressed his concern over the unwarranted loss of lives and property on the highways as a result of road crashes and pledged to assist the Corps in possible ways to ensure a down ward trend of road crashes especially in Benue State.

He further urged the Corps to sustain its initiative towards restoring the integrity of the driver's license and number plates in addition to the training of convoy drivers, which he said, should include all senior government functionaries

Via: Federal Road Safety Commission [FRSC]  - Official Press Release

[FRSC]