We’ll clampdown on vehicles with excessive mechanical deficiency in Ondo – FRSC

By Muftau Ogunyemi

Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Ondo State Command, says it will continue to clampdown on any vehicle with excessive smoke emission and mechanical deficiency in the state.

FRSC Sector Commander in the state, Mr Ezekiel SonAllah, stated this at a news briefing to mark the 2023 United Nations Road Safety Week (UNRSW), on Monday in Akure.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the road safety week has, as its theme, “Sustainable Transport.”

SonAllah said that UNRSW was a biennial global road safety campaign, which brought together individuals, government, non-govermental organisations (NGOs) and other stakeholders.

He also said that it was to raise awareness on road safety and make changes that would reduce the rate of road crashes.

The sector commander, who explained that the command had already arrested four vehicles this month for smoke offenses, said that the programme was to reduce the negative impacts of excessive smoke on the environment.

According to him, the increase in greenhouse gases created by transport is increasingly becoming a cause for concern in cities where atmosphere pollution indicators are being considered as a public health issue.

SonAllah said that sustainable transport referred to low and zero emission, energy-efficient and affordable modes of transportation, including electric and alternative fuel vehicles as well as domestic fuel.

He highlighted the environmental benefits of sustainable transportation to include: less pollution and clearer skies, healthier communities and harmful chemical reduction.

“So, the command is organizing a special patrol to clampdown on vehicles with excessive smoke emission and mechanical deficiency.

“To start with, the command has already arrested four mechanically-deficient vehicles in the month of May 2023. This is going to be backed up with mobile courts,” he said.

SonAllah, therefore, called on motorists and the general public to ensure that only roadworthy vehicles were made to ply the road so as to prevent or minimiss road traffic crashes on the highway.

“I want to advocate for the use of non-motorised mode of transportation as a way of reducing pollution on our environment,” he said.

The sector commander said that the command had achieved 27 per cent decrease in the rate of fatal crashes in the first quarter of 2023 as well as 39 per cent decrease in the number of casualties.

“From January to March 2022, the number of fatal accident recorded was 26, while 19 were recorded in 2023. A total of 382 casualties were recorded in 2022 and 233 in 2023.

“Also, 949 people were involved in various crashes between January and March 2022, and 471 in 2023, making 50.3 per cent reduction in the rate of crashes,” he said.

(NAN)