The Directorate of Road Traffic Crashes (DRTS) has urged the motoring public to sustain collective vigilance against the menace of road traffic crashes in the country.
The National Coordinator, Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) Mayors of the Federation, Dr Yusuf Suberu said this when he led his team to control traffic and also campaign against road crashes on Friday in Abuja.
Suberu applauded the road safety stakeholders for sustaining the tempo of campaigns and appealed for sustenance in the territory.
He called for more efforts to consolidate the gains of the campaigns to restore sanity on the nation’s roads and confidence of road users in the use of road transportation especially in the FCT.
He reiterated the importance of the ongoing global campaign for a safer road environment by the United Nations General Assembly .
This, he said, was under the auspices of the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety: 2021-2030 and the role that individual and corporate organisations could play in its realisation.
According to him, Today, being Friday, is actually a busy day, because of this mosque at Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA) and that is why we are here to control the traffic to ease movement.
“We are here on advocacy for safety and then much more to make sure that we are able to meet up the requirements as regards the UN decade of action and injury prevention.
“ This is to make sure that crashes on our roads are reduced to very minimum at least 50% and in so doing, we must come out to enlighten the people and to also maintain law and order on our roads.
“Today you can see how sanity is in front of the mosque. No need for unnecessary parking on the road. We are able to stop vehicles for others to pass and there were orderliness and all.
“It will be a continuous thing and it will spread across the six area councils in the FCT. Any where you see festivities or large gatherings , you’ll see VIO mayors there to ensure safety for road users.
“Our advocacy is part of an environment where there is an event or festivities . We are preparing towards airports roads because we notice vehicles knock down worshippers on Sunday and we want to give adequate support, “he said.
Suberu said that road safety was everybody’s business adding that it was important to drive safe to stay alive.
He emphasised that it was very important to obey the rules and regulations of driving adding that safety was not just for anybody but for personal self.
“If you are thinking of protecting yourself, that means you are also protecting others. Protect yourself by obeying the rules and regulations of driving, “he said.
The VIO boss enjoined every Nigerian to embrace the ideals of the road safety campaign for the nation to stand out in the evaluation of the success of the global efforts against road carnage.
Speaking, Mr Monday Elimigbe, President, Chairman Board of Trustees, Drivers Welfare Club of Nigeria, urged the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike to form collaboration between all security and safety agencies to curb road crashes.
Elimigbe, who doubled as a Mayor, also urged all relevant stakeholders, mayors and members of the public not to relent in their efforts in addressing the issues with road traffic crashes in the territory.
He said that the exercise carried out by the Mayors was very important as the axis had not been controlled by any of the Mayors adding that it was the first time the newly inducted mayors would control traffic.
“Today’s exercise is very essential because it’s our first outing and very important to us. It’s also an eye opener for us to know the rules and regulations on how the traffic should be controlled within the Abuja metropolis.
“We urge the FCT minister who is the chief security officer of the territory to form a kind of collaboration between all the road safety and security agencies
“Let there be joint patrol instead of allowing them to do differently. There should be a day set aside for such. FRSC, VIO , NSCDC and even the Police should come together for this joint operations
“With the help of the VIO, FRSC and the Police the government can control the traffic issues in FCT”, he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mayorship is voluntary effort by some members of the society who believe in joint effort to curtail the incessant road traffic crashes in the country.
