The Deputy Minister of Works and Transport, Veikko Nekundi on Thursday launched the 2021-2022 festive season road safety campaign at Keetmanshoop.
In his remarks, Nekundi said festive campaign initiatives are pre-crash activities and if coordinated well, are able to bring about sustainable outcomes.
“It is imperative that we forthwith embrace opportunities presented by technologies to fight this cancer of reckless conduct that results in the loss of lives on our national roads and all road users are enjoined to strictly adhere to the rules of the road to preserve maximum safety while using the roads,” he added.
He said roads are meant to enable access to both economic activities as well as social infrastructure and basic amenities, however many lives are lost because of unbecoming conduct by those who choose to be reckless and undermine the rights of others with their careless conduct.
“It is truly tragic that the majority of lives often lost during the festive season are young people who are economically productive and breadwinners of their respective families. As you embark on your journey, make a personal commitment that you shall not be that one to add a feeling of sorrow and grief onto another family and that of my own, through any act of recklessness and negligence of the road when I am behind the steering wheel,” Nekundi advised.
He said pedestrians, cyclists, passengers and drivers should understand that roads are shared infrastructure and it is important that they understand that they need to be fully aware and alert of each other’s presence on the shared infrastructure.
“Adherence to the rules of the road will not only enhance our nation’s ability to grow the economy but will also ensure that our roads do not become the enablers of graveyards fillers. It is time we raise the bar in our fight to arrest carnage on the roads,” he urged.
The campaign runs from 25 of November 2021 until 17 January 2022 with a particular focus on the B1 and B2 highways while elsewhere in the country, traffic laws will be enforced as and when necessary.
Executive secretary of the National Road Safety Council, Eugene Tendekule said the campaign is aimed at achieving a reduction in crashes, injuries and fatalities, through targeted action against the common road offences such as speeding, drinking and driving, overloading and unfit vehicles, which are the leading causes of fatal road crashes in Namibia.
Source: The Namibian Press Agency
