Executive Director of the Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority, Dr. Sarah Bendu said the Global Road Safety week observed from the 8 -14 May every year all over the world, to promote issues of safety and the reduction of high speed, which has caused many accidents leading to many injuries and death among drivers, passengers and even pedestrians.
“Thisweek is focused on speed management , understanding the dangers of it there by saving lives on the road, the authority will hold activities such as a symposium, road shows and safety exhibition booth at the Miatta Conference centre grounds, as part of the commemoration of the Global Road Safety week ” Dr. Sarah Bendu mentioned.
Representing the board of directors of SLRSA, Dr. Mark Mahmoud Kalokoh, said the Authority was charged with responsibilities of ensuring road safety, as he went on to disclose that they could not do it alone and that they need proper collaboration with relevant authorities, in order for them to succeed in achieving safety standards.
He said there is an urgent need for a redesigning of behavioural tendencies of drivers and pedestrians for proper safety.
World Bank Senior Country Economist, Kemoh Mansaray said much has been spent on the transport sector and noted that the infrastructure issues should be addressed also as some of the accidents are also as a result of the bad road conditions in some areas.
Minister of Transport and Aviation , Leonard Balogun Koroma while making his statement said Africa as a continent has the highest rate of road traffic deaths and that for Sierra Leone more has to be done in addressing road accidents. He stated that as a government they would continue to make further strides in addressing key risk factors.
Speaking on the road Infrastructure and Maintenance Director General of the Sierra Leone Roads Authority, Ing.Memuna Kumba Jalloh said looking at the attendant problems of the road, concepts of road design, design outcomes; key maintenance activities among others would be address across the country.
