By Mama A. Touray
The Ministry Transport Works and Infrastructure has honoured survivors of road crash during the commemoration of International Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims held at Westfield Youth Monument.
The theme for the commemoration of the day was Act for Low Speed with the slogan Remembers Those Who Die, Support Those Who Survived and ACT for Low Speed.
Mod K Ceesay, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Transport Works and Infrastructure, said: “the commemoration of this day is not for the benefit of the victims to remember what happened to them as victims but the commemoration is the act of recognition to show to the victims and family that their humanity is valued.”
“Their loss is the loss of the nation and their survived is the survive of the nation; it is only through recognition of the tragedy error of its occurrence,” he said.
He described the celebration as important in global efforts which offers an opportunity for drawing attention to the skill of emotional and economical challenges caused by road crash.
“The government through the MoTWI in collaboration with relevant stakeholders drew from the public, private and civil society organizations is taking the lead in communities and promoting road safety in The Gambia. We have already developed road safety strategy guide and standards in delivering government long term road safety,” he added.
Ansuma Sanno, a survived victim of the road traffic accident said that: “since The Gambia gains its independence they did not have any law but as of now they have it.”
He added that: “as we are in political era the physically challenged people are also having their manifesto that they will present to any presidential candidate, who wins the December 4 presidential election, which will serve as agreement between us and them for their first hundred days, and five years in office what they will do for us the physically challenged people, we already prepared that.”
He thanked the organizers of the event for organizing such an event where they found themselves in and urged Gambians to work together to make sure that low speed is a law in the country as people who died through the road traffic accident are Gambians.
The UN day of remembrance for road traffic victims was first held in 1993 in United Kingdom. This day was dedicated to remember the many millions who have been killed and seriously injured on the world’s roads and to acknowledge the suffering of all affected victims, families and communities.
The main objective of the commemoration of this day is to raise public awareness on road safety issues, to acknowledge the work of all those involved in the aftermath of road accidents and provide a platform for victims of road accshare their ordeal with fellow road users
