The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has cautioned members of society against disregarding and hurling abuses at special marshals while carrying out their duties and ensuring adherence to traffic rules for their safety.

The FRSC corps marshal, Shehu Mohammed, spoke on Saturday in Abuja at the 2024 special marshal zonal conference.

The conference is the maiden edition with the theme, “Leveraging Technology for Improved Traffic Management and Enforcement; The FRSC Digitalisation Approach.”

Mr Mohammed urged Nigerians to honour and respect them, stating they were not jobless but skilled professionals in different fields contributing to road safety.

“Special marshals are experts, academicians, and professionals who are contributing their quote to road management for the benefit of the entire society,” he said.

Mr Mohammed, represented by Assistant Corp Marshal Aliya Datsama, emphasised that the roles of its special marshals across the country remain vital, crucial, and valuable in road traffic management.

“I commiserate with the special marshal unit nationwide over the death of its members. It is unfortunate that the deaths of special marshals are on the rise.

“The roles of special marshals are unarguably vital in road management, and this conference offers an excellent opportunity to explore the digitalisation of traffic management,” he said.

The corps marshal urged the unit to continue embracing technology, as its role in enforcing traffic rules and curtailing road crashes was increasingly crucial.

He urged the unit to explore and recommend new technology, especially technology with the ability to analyse data and improve road management.

Mr Mohammed reiterated FRSC’s commitment to continue to support the unit in achieving giant strides.

Usman Adaji, FRSC special marshal zonal coordinator Zone 7, explained that the conference sought to educate members of the public and key stakeholders on best practices for using Nigeria’s roads safely and avoiding accidents.

“We are sensitising the Nigeria Police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO), regular marshals, the FRSC clubs, corps members and school students to road usage,” said Mr Adaji.

He also urged Nigerians to be law-abiding and support marshals by adhering to traffic laws for the collective benefit of every road user.

(NAN)