Africa-Press – Mauritius. A training session on Defensive Driving techniques for Taxi operators was held, yesterday, at the Plaza Municipal Hall in Rose Hill, in the context of the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims 2023. The Minister of Land Transport and Light Rail, Mr Alan Ganoo, was present.
In his address, Minister Ganoo highlighted that the training session on Defensive Driving is the fifth activity which is being organised to pay tribute to victims of road accidents and to sensitise the population on road safety.
He recalled that a mass was held on 18 November 2023 at the Chapel of St Luc in Residence Kennedy, followed by a Motorcycle Road Show from the Plaza Municipal Hall in Rose Hill to the parking of Tribeca Mall in Ebène on 19 November 2023.
A distribution of helmets to motorcyclists was held on 20 November at the Belle Vue Total Gas Station and a Youth Rally was organised on 22 November from Plaisance Mall to Gandhi Square in Rose Belle.
As a sign of solidarity to road accident victims, he also urged the population to wear a white ribbon on 24 November 2023. He recalled that the number of road accidents victims keeps on increasing and indicated that around the world, some 1,35 million of road accident victims are reported.
He therefore appealed road users to change their attitudes and behaviours to improve road safety and expressed grief and sadness over those who have lost their lives in road accidents.
Acknowledging the important role played by taxi operators in the society in enhancing mobility, Minister Ganoo stated that Government has at heart the well-being and welfare of the taxi drivers.
In that context, he recalled that the Taxi Operators Welfare Fund was set up in 2021 and offers a series of benefits to its members, including a Death Grant to the family of a taxi operator who passes away, loan schemes, and other forms of financial assistance, trainings, scholarships, and leisure activities.
He pointed out that the Fund was established to cater for the advancement and promotion of the welfare of taxi operators and their families. Speaking about the reckless and careless behaviours adopted by many road users, he deplored that drivers are still consuming alcohol and drugs while driving, speeding, using mobile phones and adopting poor attitude on the road.
Statistics from the Mauritius Police Force, he indicated, reveal that from January to October 2023, 3,700 drivers were impaired by alcohol, 835 were driving under the influence of drugs, and 3,371 were using mobile phones while driving.
He recalled that Government is investing massively in road safety campaigns, upgrading of infrastructures, and tightening of laws in a bid to curb road fatalities.
He therefore urged pedestrians and drivers on the need to be vigilant and to abide by traffic laws at all times. World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims
The objectives of World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims are to provide a platform for road traffic victims and their families to remember all people killed and seriously injured on the roads; acknowledge the crucial work of the emergency services; draw attention to the generally trivial legal response to culpable road deaths and injuries and advocate for an appropriately serious response; advocate for better support for road traffic victims and victim families; and promote evidence-based actions to prevent and eventually stop further road traffic deaths and injuries.
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