Mustapha Jarju
The President of the General Transport Union(GTU) has entreated drivers to respect the Highway Code for safer roads as public fear over rain-induced accidents mounts.
As the 2023 rainy season advances, GTU president Omar Ceesay urged drivers to ensure their vehicles are road-worthy and avoid loading beyond the stipulated capacity as well as adhere to traffic regulations.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Voice, Ceesay said: “I am urging all drivers to stop implicating themselves and respect the road traffic act and work with the government in building a better nation by playing our part as drivers.
“Overloading is against the road traffic act and every vehicle has a particular amount of people that it needs to carry but if you go beyond that… is a risk for yourself and your vehicle. So my advice is that if you want to work as a driver, let’s respect the road traffic act.”
The GTU president urged all drivers to ensure their vehicles meet all conditions of roadworthiness before deployment. He noted that good tires, reflectors, rear signals, among other requirements, are imperatives for safer roads.
Ceesay also stressed the need for drivers to be physically prepared when plying roads as he cautioned them to avoid driving when unwell.
He called on drivers to display signs on the road in an event of a mechanical breakdown to prevent their vehicle from being rammed into by another vehicle.
“All drivers should remind themselves that the life they may safe on the road can be their own,” he pointed out.
Ceesay further said the GTU will continue to take up its responsibility in engaging drivers on laws, rules and regulations, governing motor traffic, adding that the aim is to ensure compliance.
He, therefore, called on drivers to “value” their lives and those of their passengers by avoiding risks that can lead to loss of life.