Road Safety Monitors
By Mohamed Vandi in Kenema
124 Road Safety Monitors were yesterday deployed in strategic locations in the eastern headquarter town of Kenema after an inauguration ceremony on Tuesday. They are recruited and administered by the Passengers Welfare Association (PWA).
PWA Regional Coordinator, East, Mohamed Morie Yemoh said the monitors had been trained and deployed to augment and complement the efforts of the police and traffic wardens so as to collaborate in promoting road safety.
He said the monitors would sensitise passengers about their rights and obligations while and not to allow overloading and over speeding of vehicles and motorbikes.
Yemoh said the rights of passengers are always abused by drivers and that the innovation would help to sensitise passengers about their right and the type of vehicle they should travel.
"Our Monitors will let passengers know the dangers involved in travelling on an unregistered motorbike or vehicle in the event of an accident" he said, adding that the monitors would take proper records of personal belongings of the passengers and present them to the nearest police station.
He said the programme, funded by the World Health Organisation stemmed from the fifth pillar of the Road Safety Act which his organisation had the mandate to implement. He maintained that the monitors were expected to be put on salary after the completion of the pilot phase.
The Deputy Mayor of Kenema, Esther Kaisamba lauded the efforts of the PWA in protecting the rights of passengers. She recounted how some passengers had faced humiliation in the hands of drivers and motorbike taxi riders aka Okada Boys.
Esther appealed to the monitors to work in the interest of the people and not to compromise their mandate.
One of the Monitors, Wuya Sama said they had vowed to work in the interest of passengers and the nation assuring that they would do exactly that.
(C) Politico 23/01/14
