Road safety day called as carnage mounts

OCTOBER 23 has been designated National Road Safety Day by The National Assembly according to Law No. 58 of September 22, 2015.

The initiative for the move came, following the burning to death of 18 bus passengers on October 23, 2006

The move, announced coincidentally, two days after the high profile death of a prominent athlete killed by a hit and run driver, is intended  to guide and sensitize both drivers and pedestrians on road rules.

In the past weekend two road deaths brought the total for the year to 296, and there were two hit and run incidents,

Luis Torres, leader of the Movement of Users October 23, said the proposal came as a demand of public transport customers, after the tragedy of bus 8B-06, in 2006,

Julio Gonzalez, director of the Transit Authority (ATTT), said the purpose of the rule is to prevent accidents and preserve the lives of all people.

ATTT numbers showed that from January 1 to August 31 of this year they had handed out 46,331 tickets for disregarding traffic signs.

There are over 141 traffic accidents every day.