By Stanley Nwanosike
Enugu – The Enugu State Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), on Friday, carried out test on 30 drivers from private transport companies in Enugu metropolis for alcohol and other intoxicants.
The corps used digital breathalyzers to capture the breathe of ramdomly selected drivers of GUO Motors and Peace Mass Transit located at the Holy Ghost area of the city.
Speaking at the end of the exercise, the FRSC Sector Commander in Enugu, Mr Ogbonnaya Kalu, said the exercise, tagged “No alcohol in parks”, was part of the ongoing “Operation zero tolerance to road traffic crashes’’.
Kalu described road safety as a state of the mind of the stakeholders making a journey, especially the drivers.
He said: “We are here to ensure that even as the vehicles in transport companies’ fleets are mechanically sound, the drivers are also sound both in health – physically and mentally.
“FRSC says no alcohol in our motor parks any longer.
“We are here selecting these drivers randomly and using the digital breathalyzers on them to check for alcohol or any intoxicant intake.”
The sector commander, who was accompanied by Mr Osadebe Osadebamwen, the FRSC Zonal Commanding Officer for Zone 9, said that all the drivers tested negative.
He admonished passengers not to be complacent over reckless driving or other indiscipline displayed by the drivers on the road during their journey.
“Passengers should know that they are stakeholders in the safety business and their safe arrival to their destinations.
“They should speak out and caution their driver for any reckless driving or road misbehavior.
“And if he is not taking corrections, they should report the driver to the nearest FRSC marshal or operatives of any law enforcement agency on the road.
“They can also report erring drivers to the owner or manager of the transport company through the number on their tickets and body of the vehicle,’’ he said.
The Manager, GUO Park, Mr Friday Nwazor, described the exercise as laudable, saying that it afforded the company the opportunity to know the alcohol and intoxicant status of the drivers.
“I am happy that all my drivers proved negative to alcohol and intoxicant test. It is a good testimony for the company and our esteemed passengers,’’ he said.
A driver with Peace Mass Transit, Mr Dennis Asogwa, said that the unscheduled test would help to checkmate alcohol and intoxicant intake among drivers.
(NAN)