Minister of Transport and Works Michael Lashley addressing the Road Safety Awareness event in Jubilee Gardens yesterday.
It is the goal of the Ministry of Transport and Works to help reduce and minimise the number of accidents and traffic fatalities.
The Ministry is therefore highlighting the need for safe road practices and behaviours.
Yesterday, Minister of Transport and Works Michael Lashley and his staff could be seen in The City engaging shoppers during the Ministry’s Road Safety Awareness event.
Reassuring all road users that his Ministry takes road safety very seriously, Lashley highlighted the proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Act.
“Only this week we started debate in the House on the Road Traffic Act and it is breaking new ground in terms of addressing certain matters that were never addressed in the previous Road Traffic Act, certainly Breathalyser testing, increase fines for drunk driving and for the first time introduced into law, the fact that the disabled, can now park in a space designated for him or her without any issues,” he pointed out.
While noting that Barbados has one of the lowest rates in terms of road fatalities throughout the region, he however stressed that it is not something to be proud of, pointing out that so far, this year, we have lost 26 persons to road traffic accidents.
“I want to go towards the ‘Vision Zero’ – let us eliminate and try to make sure that we don’t have any more road fatalities… Minimise these infractions in relation to the road traffic laws.”
According to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Works, Simone Rudder, road safety and public education are vital components of the mandate of the Ministry.
She noted that this has especially been seen in their Public Awareness Campaign where Public Service Announcements have been aired on radio, television and on social media.
“These P.S.A.’s encourages road users to be vigilant and use best practices while travelling on our roads”. (TL)