WESTMORELAND, Jamaica — Transport and Mining Minister, Lester ‘Mike’ Henry says Westmoreland has accounted for 21 per cent of the country’s overall fatalities since the start of the year.

The minister, who was addressing the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a $14-million administrative office for the Transport Authority and the Inland Traffic Authority in Westmoreland yesterday, said the parish has already accounted for 36 of the 170 fatalities so far this year.

“Something is radically wrong with the way in which you are driving your cars, motorcycles and buses on the roads.

“If you look at the pound across from us, there are over 600 motorcycles and over 110 motor vehicles that have been seized by the authorities for breaches of the road code,” said Henry.

Henry said last year, the parish had also occupied the top soot.

Statistics from the Road Safety Unit in the ministry has indicated that as at Tuesday of this week, 170 people have been killed in motor-vehicle crashes across the island.

This represents a five per cent decrease in fatal crashes and 12 per cent decrease in fatalities in contrast to the same period last year.

“This is indeed a good sign. But, ladies and gentlemen it could still have been better. We are not going to give up the fight to reduce fatalities year by year. We must cut the figure in two by 2020. This is a commitment we gave to the United Nations Decade of Action,” Henry declared.

He further expressed hope that the combined offices established in the parish will double the ministry’s education campaign efforts and equally keep up the enforcement of laws in order to get compliance and discipline.

“We must put an end to the madness. We must behave ourselves… and I am convinced that we can do it if we all put hands and heart together,” Henry said.

Anthony Lewis