Except for the Muslims among them, they would have joined others in the day’s Easter festivities. But they chose to embark on a life-saving enlightenment programme on the Good Friday. It was tagged, “Road Show Campaign.”
Leading the show was the Ojota Unit Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC). It was sponsored by Honeywell Superfine Foods Limited (HSFL).
As early as 8 am, HSFL’s Commercial Director, Lanre Jaiyeola, led his team to the FRSC office in a convoy of five of the company’s branded vans among other vehicles.
The Ojota Unit Commander, Leye Adegboyega, an Assistant Corps Commander (ACC), and his lieutenants, including Lucas Oguntade, evinced their readiness to make the campaign a success.
With every participant in high spirit, the carnival-like show started from the old Toll Gate, 7Up area en-route major roads including Mobolaji Johnson – Alausa, Ikeja – The Secretariat – CMD Road, Ketu – Lagos/Ibadan Expressway and finally back to the old Toll Gate.
A live band was on hand to spice up the show.
Adegboyega explained the motive behind the exercise: “It has been observed over the years that road crashes are usually on the increase during festive seasons like this; this is why we thought of intensifying public awareness drive on ensuring safety on our roads this Easter and beyond.”
With a megaphone, motorists were further enlightened on the need to adhere to traffic rules, even after any festive period, by eschewing over-speeding, phone calls while driving, dangerous driving like wrongful overtaking, overloading, covering/violating number plates rules. The importance of light signs – break lights, full lights and rear lights – was also re-emphasised.
Adegboyega reminded motorists about some of the initiatives of the FRSC in Zone RS2, including the Passengers Watch, which was recently initiated to check drivers’ excesses. Under the initiative, the FRSC official pretends to be a passenger with a view to monitoring the driver’s attitude.
The effort, he said, is aimed at achieving 50 per cent reduction in road crashes across the country in line with the UN Decade of Action.
Jaiyeola told The Nation that his company was involved in the programme because of its belief that safety is an issue that concerns everyone in the society. “Our company, Honeywell appreciates the Command’s commitment to the campaign and that spurred us into partnering with it, all for safety on our roads,” he said.
Handbills bearing messages on the causes and prevention of road accidents were freely distributed during the campaign. Honeywell-branded pens, notebooks, noodles, snacks and leaflets were also distributed. Regular and Special Marshals of the Corps were not left out.
A commuter, Mrs Anike Omolayo told The Nation at Ketu: “I’m impressed by all the efforts being made by this Command of the FRSC to make our roads safe; I only hope other Commands will follow suit.”
Having discovered that some drivers were suffering from hypertension among other health problems, the Adegboyega-led Command recently carried out blood pressure and blood sugar tests in some commercial motor parks its domain, all in a bid to promote safety on the roads.
Beyond the Road is another such programmes carried out at Biode Park on March 25, during which no fewer than 59 drivers underwent blood pressure and sugar level tests. Twenty-eight drivers were also tested at Owena Park, Ojota, the next day.
The beneficiaries and their leaders at both parks were full of praises for the Command over the exercise they adjudged laudable. The Command re-educated the public on the need to ensure safety at all times, even “beyond the road.”
After the Easter period, Adegboyega assured the public that his Command’s Motorised Patrol along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, embarked on through its Special Intervention Projects (SIP), would continue. “It is done essentially to restrict motorists to the prescribed speed limits,” he stated.
