Malawi on Sunday commemorated Africa Road Safety Day at Gymkhana Club ground in Zomba under the theme: Voluntary Compliance with Road Traffic Rules Saves Lives; Non-Compliance is Fatal!
1,100 people died in road accidents in 2023, while 1,226 died in 2022, according to the Directorate of Road Traffic and Safety Services in Malawi, which also organised the annual Africa Road Safety Day commemoration.
Minister of Transport and Public Works, Jacob Hara who was guest of honour at the commemoration of the Africa Road Safety Day began by visiting and cheering those who got injured in road accidents and were admitted at the Zomba Central Hospital where it was reported that 46 per cent of the casualties at the facility were due to motorcycles road accidents.
Speaking at Zomba Gymkhana Club ground, Hara called for collective responsibility to avoid road accidents, which end in deaths or disabilities of the victims.
“The law is clear that motorcycle taxis should not operate in towns and cities. Let me call on the Directorate of Road Traffic and Safety Services to impound all motorcycles operated in the towns and cities,” he said, adding that this is another way of protecting Malawians from motorcycle accidents.
He, therefore, commended the Directorate of Road Traffic and Safety Services for enforcing tragic rules and regulations on the roads of Malawi.
The minister added that traffic rules and regulations were meant to protect road users from accidents as opposed to bother road users.
Hara reminded political parties that carrying party supporters in trucks and lorries is against traffic rules and regulations, saying this should not be condoned on the roads of Malawi.
Director of Road Traffic and Safety Services, Andrew Sandula, said the UN aspires that road accidents should be reduced by 2030, saying 1.2 million die in road accidents worldwide.
He therefore said it is a collective responsibility to prevent road accidents that claim lives and leave some people permanently disabled
Zomba City Mayo and Councillor Christopher Jana asked the Ministry of Transport to upgrade a road section from Matawale in Zomba to Balaka, and he observed that a lot of road accidents occur in this section due to bad conditions.
The Mayor also asked traffic police to impound all motorcycle taxis that carry more than one passenger and those that ride withoucrashshelmetset.
The Africa Road Safety Day was attended by government officials, and Zomba residents are among them primary learners and University of Malawi students, apart from inmates from Zomba Central Prison.
They displayed drama and traditional dances that had messages to encourage compliance with traffic rules and regulations to avoid accidents.
