Mbombela – Mpumalanga’s first Provincial Road Safety Council will be officially introduced on Friday.
Road Safety
The council is expected to help the national Transport Department raise road safety awareness at grassroots level.
“Through the councils, road safety messages will be able to reach a wider community audience,” said department spokesperson, David Nkambule.
A reduction in road fatalities in Mpumalanga over the festive season, from 205 in 2009/10 to 132 in 2010/11, has been attributed to intensified road safety education as well as traffic law enforcement.
Nkambule said provincial road safety councils will be responsible for implementing road safety programmes at local, district and provincial level and for advising government on road safety issues that affect communities.
“This is recognised as a critical step towards ensuring safer roads in the country,” said Nkambule.
He said members of the public who need any information about the department, the Road Accident Fund or road safety in general will now be able to visit their municipalities and make enquiries through the road safety council, which will have offices at local, district and provincial level.
Communities at all 18 local municipalities in Mpumalanga elected members to serve on community road safety councils at municipal level. Similar elections were held for community representatives at the three districts and also at provincial level.
The elected Provincial Road Safety Council will work with the National Road Safety Council that will report directly to the transport ministry.
Mpumalanga Transport MEC Clifford Mkasi will introduce the Provincial Road Safety Council in Mbombela on Friday. – BuaNews
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