Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar wants citizens to do more to ensure the nation’s roads are safer. In a message to mark World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims yesterday, she said: “We must all, as drivers, passengers, cyclists and pedestrians, practise greater care and awareness.” Persad-Bissessar said there are more than 30,000 road accidents in T&T.
“We must eliminate dangerous behaviours which place our lives at risk,” she said as she urged road users to “adhere to the nation’s traffic laws and be considerate to others who are also in transit.” The Prime Minister advised drivers to employ responsible strategies and urged pedestrians to use zebra crossings and walkovers where available.
She said her Government is committed to “reducing the number of vehicular accidents on our roads” and announced that there will be increased highway patrols, implementation of random breathalyser tests and establishment of a National Road Safety Council (NRSC) to develop a road injury and prevention policy for T&T. Persad-Bissessar said the NRSC will be “the overarching body for co-ordination with inter-agency and multi-sector stakeholders with a shared goal for reducing traffic related incidents.”
The Ministry of Transport, in a statement in observance of the day, noted with grave concern the recent spike in carnage on the nation’s roads, including the “tragic deaths of six people and the unfortunate demise of Jocelyn Marquis-Taylor, who was impaled by steel rods in San Juan.” The ministry said such accidents were preventable and appealed to citizens to be more cautious on the roads.
The Transport Ministry said Marquis-Taylor’s death highlights the need for drivers transporting construction material to ensure precautions are taken to ensure the load was secured. It also said establishment of the new Motor Vehicle Authority will improve road safety by providing “stronger deterrents “ for violation of the rules of the road, among other things. In addition, the ministry said, discussions were held recently with the T&T Police Service to introduce modern speed detection devices.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki‑moon in his message for World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, applauded governments which have agreed to a Decade of Action for Road Safety, 2011-2020, with the target of saving five million lives. He called “for more concerted action on road safety as part of the future development agenda.” “This will be a vital component of efforts to improve health and save lives in the years ahead,” he said.
“On this World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, let us work to make more roads safe for all who use them. Together, we can save millions of lives.
World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims is observed on the third Sunday of November each year by an increasing number of countries. The day is in memory of the millions killed or injured in road crashes and their families and communities and also pays tribute to the dedicated emergency crews, police and medical professionals who deal with the traumatic aftermath of road death and injury.