As the 2025 festive season reaches its peak, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Ebonyi State has initiated a comprehensive operational plan to safeguard travelers. Sector Commander Daniel Asanya announced the deployment of 152 regular personnel and 258 Special Marshals across the state’s six unit commands, a strategic move aimed at curbing the annual spike in road traffic incidents.
This deployment is part of the FRSC’s annual “Zero Tolerance to Road Crashes” campaign, which this year will run from December 25th through January 15th, 2026. This extended period covers the peak travel days for Christmas, New Year celebrations, and the subsequent return journeys.
Beyond Numbers: A Multi-Pronged Safety Strategy
Commander Asanya outlined a strategy that moves beyond mere presence to proactive intervention. The core pillars include:
- Targeted Deployment at Identified Hotspots: Personnel are strategically positioned at known high-risk areas—likely including major intersections like the Presco Junction, accident-prone stretches of the Abakaliki-Enugu highway, and crowded urban centers—to ensure rapid response.
- Ensuring Free Traffic Flow: A key focus is the prompt removal of broken-down or accident-damaged vehicles, particularly large articulated trucks that can cause major obstructions. The public is urged to use the FRSC’s free emergency toll line 122 to report such incidents immediately.
- Sustained Enforcement and Enlightenment: The campaign emphasizes a dual approach. While enforcing regulations like speed limits, seatbelt use, and overloading bans, the corps is concurrently running sensitization programs. Their stark message: “Only the living celebrate.”
The Unique Challenge of Tricycles (Keke NAPEP)
Commander Asanya highlighted a critical, state-specific concern: the predominance of tricycles as a primary mode of transport. He provided crucial context often missing from standard advisories:
Unlike enclosed vehicles, tricycles offer minimal physical protection and have a higher center of gravity, making them more susceptible to rollovers. The FRSC is specifically educating both operators and passengers. They advocate for a “passenger watch” approach, where passengers are encouraged to verbally caution a driver whose actions—such as reckless speeding, phone use, or dangerous maneuvers—jeopardize safety. This empowers passengers to be active participants in their own security.
For motorists sharing the road with these vehicles, this underscores the need for increased caution, greater following distance, and awareness of tricycles’ limitations.
What This Means for Ebonyi Travelers
The FRSC’s deployment is a significant resource, but road safety remains a shared responsibility. Travelers in Ebonyi during this period can expect:
- Heightened FRSC Visibility: Increased patrols and checkpoints aimed at deterring violations.
- Faster Emergency Response: With personnel pre-positioned, response times to crashes and obstructions should be reduced.
- A Call to Personal Responsibility: The success of this operation hinges on driver compliance. Planning trips for off-peak hours, ensuring vehicle roadworthiness, avoiding night travel on poorly lit roads, and absolute sobriety are non-negotiable complements to the FRSC’s efforts.
The FRSC’s structured plan for Ebonyi provides a clear framework for safer holiday travel. By understanding the scope of the deployment, the rationale behind the tricycle warnings, and the available public resources like the 122 line, motorists and passengers can make informed decisions to ensure their celebrations are not marred by tragedy.
Reported by Chukwuemeka Opara for NAN. Edited by Rabiu Sani-Ali.
