The Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE) in Ogun State has intensified efforts to reduce road crashes, fatalities, and traffic congestion through its 2026 ‘Ember’ months operation tagged “Operation Safe Roads.”

​The Acting TRACE Corps Commander, Adedayo Omonayajo, made this known on Thursday in Abeokuta.

Mr ​Omonayajo said the operation was designed to strengthen traffic management and ensure safer movement across the state.

​He said the operation, which runs from September to December, will focus on safe roads, safe drivers, safe vehicles, and safe communities.

​He stated, “Operation Safe Roads 2026 is designed to enforce traffic laws, reduce road crashes and fatalities, and reduce traffic congestion and violations across major highways, urban centres, and accident-prone locations in Ogun.”

​Mr Omonayajo stated that the corps would deploy personnel across key strategic areas including major highways, the Lagos-Ibadan corridor, Abeokuta metropolitan routes, inter-state roads, accident-prone locations, major intersections, motor parks, and commercial centres.

He noted that enforcement would focus on major infractions such as speeding, reckless driving, driving under the influence, overloading, dangerous overtaking, phone use, and seat belt violations.

​Other offences to be addressed include driving without valid documents, use of unroadworthy vehicles, illegal parking, roadside obstruction, traffic signal violations, driving against traffic, and unauthorised use of road shoulders.

​He added that the agency would establish day and night patrol teams, rapid-response units, traffic-control teams, surveillance and public enlightenment teams, as well as vehicle recovery and towing coordination teams.

​“High-risk locations will receive 24-hour or extended-hour coverage where necessary, while response teams will be deployed to crashes, vehicle breakdowns, and other traffic emergencies,” he said.

​He added that TRACE would collaborate with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Nigeria Police Force, emergency management teams, fire and rescue services, ambulance services, road-owning agencies, transport unions, and other stakeholders.

Mr ​Omonayajo added that the operation would incorporate public awareness campaigns to foster traffic compliance and curb reckless driving.

​He urged motorists to avoid drink-driving, speeding, overloading, and dangerous overtaking, while ensuring that their vehicles are roadworthy before embarking on journeys.

​He added that the agency would track operations via daily reports detailing deployments, traffic violations, casualties, cleared obstructions, and emergency response times.

​He urged officers to conduct enforcement professionally, lawfully, and impartially, while respecting the rights of road users.

​He advised personnel to observe safety precautions, particularly during night operations, rainfall, poor visibility, and crash-scene management.

​“Enforcement is not the end; safety is the objective. The operation’s motto is rapid response saves lives; every second counts, every life matters,” Mr Omonayajo said.

(NAN)