PM appeals for more responsible road use
KINGSTON, Jamaica (JIS) — Prime Minister Andrew Holness, is appealing for more responsible road use in order to reduce crashes and fatalities.
“I implore my fellow Jamaican road users to be more careful on our roads. We must work hard to further reduce the number of deaths taking place on our roads,” he said.
“Each of us has an important part to play, whether we walk, drive or ride. We must never be satisfied until we can see Jamaica moving within reach of zero deaths on our roads,” he added.
The prime minister’s remarks came in a message read by National Road Safety Council (NRSC) Vice Chairman, Dr Lucien Jones, at a church service to mark World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, held on Sunday (November 18) at the Boulevard Baptist Church in Kingston.
Holness said the Government continues to find innovative methods to improve road safety and takes no comfort in the eight per cent increase in road fatalities for 2018 when compared with the similar period last year.
He pointed out that if road fatalities continue on that trajectory, the country would surpass the 2017 figure.
He highlighted, among the recently implemented steps, the formation of the Public Safety and Traffic Enforcement Branch of the Jamaica Constabulary Force to deal with traffic and ensure order in public spaces.
He further pointed to the imminent passage of the new Road Traffic Act, which includes several measures designed “to take safety to a much higher level”.
The prime minister thanked various entities, including the NRSC, for the work that has been done over the years to reduce the number of road crashes and fatalities.
He pointed out that since the inception of the NRSC in 1993, road deaths have reduced and that notwithstanding the fluctuations from year to year, the general decline is noteworthy.
“The results are …impressive when expressed in terms of the fatalities per 100,000 of population. In 1993, the fatality rate was 17.8 (per 100,000). It declined to as low as 9.6 in 2012, and it was 11.7 in 2017,” he noted.
Holness encouraged Jamaicans to harness collective will and action to ensure lasting positive behaviour change on the nation’s roads.
