The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), on Friday, tested no fewer than 30 drivers for alcohol and other intoxicants in some parks of major transport companies in Enugu metropolis.
The corps used digitalized breathalyzers to capture the breathe of the 30 drivers, who were selected on random in GUO Motor Park and Peace Motor Parks within the Holy Ghost axis of Enugu metropolis.
Speaking at the end of the exercise, FRSC Sector Commander for Enugu State, Mr Ogbonnaya Kalu, said that the exercise, which is tagged; “No Alcohol’’ in parks, was part of the ongoing “Operation Zero Tolerance to Road Traffic Crashes’’.
Kalu noted that road safety was a state of the mind of the stakeholders making a journey, especially the drivers that convey people from one point to another within the country.
“We are here to ensure that even as the vehicles in any transport company’s fleets are mechanically sound; the drivers of these vehicles 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 digitalized breathalyzers on them to check for alcohol or any intoxicant intake.
“So far, in the three big parks we had visited all the drivers are free-of-alcohol use as well as other intoxicants since the breathalyzer automatically detect any iota of intoxication or alcohol use,’’ he said.
The sector commander said that the FRSC team used the medium to sensitise the passengers not to be complacency to rackless driving or other indiscipline displayed by their drivers on the road as the journey last.
“We told the passengers that they are stakeholders in the safety business as well as 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 misbehaving driver to the nearest FRSC marshal or law enforcement agency personnel on the road.
“They can also report erring drivers to the owner/manager of the transport company through the number on their tickets and body of the vehicle,’’ he advised.
Reacting, Mr Friday Nwazor, Manager of GUO Park in Enugu, said that the exercise was laudable, adding that it afforded the company to know the alcohol/intoxicant status of the drivers.
“I am happy that among my drivers, all proved negative on alcohol/intoxicant in their body stream. It is good testimony for the company and our esteemed customers/passengers,’’ he said.
Another, Mr Dennis Asogwa, a driver with Peace Mass Transport, Enugu, said that on-the-spot and unscheduled alcohol test would go a long way to senitise parks of alcohol and intoxicants intake.
Mr Osadebe Osadebamwen, FRSC Zonal Commanding Officer for Zone 9, was part of the exercise due to the proximity of the venue of the exercise to his office.
