South Sudan: Ministry of Transport starts road safety awareness week
By Richard Ruati
October 29, 2010 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s Ministry of Transport and Roads with the support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has teamed up with UN agencies, private sector and Southern Sudan Traffic Police to educate the public on road safety.
The Directorate of Road Transport and Safety of ministry is to commence the 2010 Safety Week on Monday November 1 in a effort to reduce fatal road accidents.
Traffic police, education and health professionals and others will visit local schools, road accident victims at Juba Hospital, conduct live TV and radio talk shows, and paint a Zebra-crossing to demonstrate the need for public awareness of road safety.
A 2005 peace deal between the dominant parties of north and south Sudan granted the south semi-autonomy and its own parliament, ministries and other civil authorities.
According to the Minister for Transport and Roads, Anthony Lino Makana, “the exercise, tagged ‘Safer Roads for All’, is part of [the southern] government’s commitment to reduce the road carnage associated with the past six years.”
He said that “launching the campaign re-emphasizes the need for an efficient and safe transportation system, acknowledging that the key elements are quality of available roads, vehicle condition, and the state of the driver.”
The minister lauded Road Safety Week’s private sponsors Equity Bank, UAP, National Insurance Cooperation, New Sudan Insurance Company, JIT supermarket and Aquana for their efforts to forthcoming week a success.
The Director for Road Transport and Safety, Lado Tombe, said “with this year’s theme, ‘Safer Roads for All’, it is expected that the attitude of drivers on the roads will change for the better, as the Vehicle Inspection Offices (VIOs) during the Safety Week will demonstrate enlightenment of drivers on how and where to obtain vehicle particulars and the risks involved in obtaining fake or forged document[s], the management of vehicles on the roads, effect of alcoholism on driving, procedure for obtaining driver’s license, amongst others.”
Lado said the focus on driver education would further ensure that drivers are aware of what is expected of them and the road worthiness of their vehicles.
An uninformed driver is a danger to himself, other people and property, he said. He urged road users to cooperate with the state government to ensure that the objectives of the campaign are achieved.
Road Safety Week will end on November 6, 2010 with a 5km march in Juba.
Road accidents are common in most part of southern and on major roads linking southern Sudan with Kenya and Uganda.
On Thursday a local Taxi (plate number – EE 397A) was travelling south along the Juba Nimule road carrying around 15 people including 3 babies crashed.
One of the passengers died and three others suffered serious injuries.
The policeman who attended the crash, Joseph Laga, told Sudan Tribune that he believes the vehicle was travelling at an excessive speed causing the vehicle to roll over.
In another accident, the day after on October 29, on the same road a motorcyclist came of his Senke when he hit a pile of soil in the road.
Analysts in the region foresee increase in road accidents in southern Sudan as more roads are built paved.
Paved roads and lack of safety awareness in southern Sudan are seen to be contributing to the growing number of accidents in the region.
(ST)