The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) inter-agency task force has apprehended 222 trailers conveying 3,169 passengers in Niger, Bauchi, Taraba and Kaduna states.

The task force was set up to apprehend trailers conveying passengers with goods across the country.

The Corps Marshal, Dauda Ali-Biu, said at a press briefing on Wednesday in Abuja that the measure was to mitigate road traffic crashes and attendant deaths and injuries due to the lawlessness of the trailer drivers.

He added that the task force involved various transport unions, security and traffic management agencies.

“The JTF operating in Niger, Bauchi, Taraba and Kaduna states has successfully arrested a total of 222 trailers loaded with 3169 passengers hanging on top of goods and animals.

“As part of the operations, the JTF dropped over 2,440 passengers who were mandated to take alternative vehicles designed for conveying passengers.

“Since the commencement of the JTF on March 23, the monster of road traffic crashes involving trailers and the fatalities that come with them have been adequately tamed and the situation arrested on all fronts,” he said.

Mr Ali-Biu added that the corps had gone a step further by prosecuting recalcitrant trailer drivers aside the conventional enforcement of traffic regulations.

This, he said, was done through mobile courts in the 36 states of the federation and the FCT.

“Subsequently, more drastic measures, including suspension and withdrawal of the national driver’s licence, will be carried out.

“Permit me to reiterate at this critical moment that, on our part, as an agency of government charged with road safety supervision, we have resolved to continue in our strive to make the nation’s highways safe.

“Part of our resolve is to consolidate on the gains recorded so far through the strategic combat operations of the joint task force.

“We have decided to sustain the tempo by extending the operations of the JTF to other critical corridors across the nation.

“The essence of this extension is to give it a holistic approach,” the corps marshal said.

(NAN)