FRSC seeks proper regulation of vehicle movement in West Africa

Speaking at the 2nd General Assembly of the West African Road Safety Organization (WARSO) in Freetown, March 29, 2010, the Vice President who was represented by the Minister of State, Dr John Komba-Kano recalled that a common colonial heritage necessitated a strong collaboration among West African countries in pursuit of socio-economic development hence the need […]

Speaking at the 2nd General Assembly of the West African Road Safety Organization (WARSO) in Freetown, March 29, 2010, the Vice President who was represented by the Minister of State, Dr John Komba-Kano recalled that a common colonial heritage necessitated a strong collaboration among West African countries in pursuit of socio-economic development hence the need to build a synergy for travelling safety initiatives.

He urged the West African Road Safety Organization to foster co-operation between and among national and sub regional bodies, legal entities and research centres to promote and reinforce road safety through robust public education and harmonized road traffic regulations in the sub region.

In his presentation, the Corps Marshal and Chief Executive of the Fedral Road Safety Corps who is also the President of the West African Road Safety Organiation, Osita Chidoka, called for strong support for road safety initiatives in the sub region in order to actualize projections for the United Nations declaration of a decade of action for road safety, 2010-2011.

According to Chidoka, “the declaration, among others calls on member countries to prepare plan of actions to reduce road traffic fatalities by 50 percent through increasing road safety activities at the national, regional and global levels”.

Describing road traffic crashes in the West African Sub-region as “pathetic”, he stressed: “without concerted efforts by governments and relevant road safety stakeholders through massive participation and collaboration, the challenges of road crashes in the sub-region could undermine the development efforts of the governments”. This, he said, is because, “road transportation is the most widely used means for economic and social activities in the sub-region”.

The umbrella road safety organisation in the sub-region was inaugurated under the auspices of the ECOWAS Commission to advise and give support to national road safety organisations in member countries; organise and promote joint road safety activities; promote the development of local expertise and researches on road safety and encourage the creation of road safety lead agencies where they do not exist in the sub-region.

This year’s annual general meeting which is the second since the organisation was inaugurated in May, 2008 at ECOWAS Secretariat; Abuja, has as its theme: “Evolving a Regional Agenda for Decade of Action on Road Safety 2011-2020”.

Part of resolutions at the regional meeting include a consolidated campaign against the use of mobile phones while driving within the West African sub region and the adoption of a decade of action for road safety in West African countries to address issues bordering on the use of safety helmets, seat belts and child restraints, improvement of road infrastructure, road safety legislation among other road safety-related issues.

In attendance were top Sierra Leonian government functionaries, delegates from member countries of the sub-region, road safety stakeholders and non-governmental organisations dealing with road safety.