Threatened by the second wave of the coronavirus, the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) has concluded a plan to enforce social distance among travelers and motorists to ensure the spread of the virus is brought to the barest minimum.
The Corps Mashal of the agency, Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi made this known yesterday in Lagos saying his agency “would be unrelenting in its commitment to safer road environment through sustained campaigns” as yuletide approaches.
Represented by the Corps Public Enlightenment Officer, the FRSC boss made those remarks during the fifth annual training workshop organized by the Nigerian Auto Journalist Association (NAJA).
Though monitoring revealed that the Nigerian public has jettisoned the protocol of COVID-19 as directed by the authorities, but reports from outside the country indicated that especially in Europe, some countries have commenced another second round of lockdown with Germany mulling the same.
However, not discouraged by the attitude of the general populace, the FRSC disclosed being safety officers, it was their duty to enlighten the public on the essence of adhering to the safety measures.
The FRSC boss said, “Recently, the nation was thrown into a series of security challenges characterized by the kidnapping of travelers, banditry, and armed robbery all of which are automobile transportation-based.
According to him, the nation was yet to overcome the menace of the pandemic as social distance and other COVID-19 protocols have been abandoned by the generality of the public, especially in public places like motor packs.
He explained that “The responsibility of explaining these Federal Government’s directives and ensuring compliance by all fell on the shoulders of the FRSC which is the lead agency in matters of traffic management and safety administration in the country.”
The capacity building for auto journalists aligns with the FRSC’s vision “of developing the competencies of our personnel for improved service delivery” Oyeyemi said.
He disclosed that training of their personnel would be incomplete if strategic stakeholders like Auto Journalist are lagging behind.
He revealed the ultimate goal of the training is to equip well-trained auto journals who would later go round and enlighten the general public on the dynamics of the automobile industry.
Noting that the sophistication in auto engineering, the reportage as well as the reliance on automobiles as a means of transportation for both private and commercial purposes has made it necessary to groom experts in the industry, he said.