The Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP) in charge of Administration and Personnel, Juvenal Marizamunda, has told transporters to “think beyond just monetary gains” and to prioritise safety as a sustainable means to progress. Marizamunda made the remarks on Wednesday while presiding over the training of operation and logistics managers of local transport companies, at the Rwanda National Police (RNP) General Headquarters in Kacyiru. While commending their partnership especially in the ongoing 52-week national road safety campaign dubbed ‘Gerayo Amahoro’, the deputy police chief underscored that good leadership is pivotal in addressing some of the challenges to road safety. He reminded the operations and logistics managers that their understanding of these challenges is the first step in finding solutions and resolving causes of avoidable accidents. Marizamunda challenged the participants that there can’t be sustainable development if the safety of their employees (drivers), passengers, and vehicles. “There is a tendency for passengers to tempt their drivers into speeding so as to get to their destination early. In the same vein, drivers rush in a bid to make more return journeys due to the number of people traveling and this could be encouraged by managers for monitory gains, and in some cases results are fatal,” said DIGP Marizamunda. He noted that police will continue to enlist the support of stakeholders in a coordinated and holistic approach to improving road safety. “It is our hope that the knowledge acquired during this training will cascade down to drivers and employees you manage,” he added. The one-day training was facilitated by RNP, Rwanda Utilities and Regulatory Authority (RURA), Special Guarantee Fund (SFG) and Health People Rwanda, a local Non-Governmental Organization (NGO). It was highlighted that the indiscipline of motorists is a leading cause of fatal accidents. Globally, 1.5 million people die every year in road accidents. On average, one person dies in road accidents in Rwanda, every day. The month-long Gerayo Amahoro campaign focuses on protection of infrastructure, which involves establishing more pedestrian crosswalks, repainting fading ones and erecting more road safety signposts. Gerayo Amahorois a sustainable 52-week national road safety campaign that aims at behavioral change for all road users. editor@newtimesrwanda.com
