Africa-Press – Mauritius. The transport sector is at a crossroad where we need to increase our reliance on digital solutions so as to enhance service delivery. This statement was made by the Minister of Land Transport and Light Rail, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Mr Alan Ganoo, yesterday, at Domaine les Pailles.
He was speaking at the 25th Anniversary Celebrations of Island Communications Ltd (ICL) in the presence of the Minister of Technology, Communication and Innovation, Mr Darsanand Balgobin. An Intelligent Speed Limiter Technology was also launched and a Road Safety Award Ceremony was also held on that occasion.
Minister Ganoo indicated that his Ministry is currently working on measures so as to embed technology in transport operations so that ultimately both bus operators and passengers could benefit thereof in terms of added convenience, predictability of operations and increased fleet efficiency.
On this note, he dwelt on initiatives such as the Automated Fare Collection System which would definitely ease payment of fares and allow bus operators to better capture ridership details which in turn would allow effective transport planning and; the Fleet Management System where all buses would be connected to the dashboard of the National Land Transport Authority making it easier to monitor bus operations and ensure optimal service delivery.
As regards the Intelligent Speed Assist System, Minister Ganoo indicated that it will provide the location and road status on a real-time basis so as to control the speed of the vehicle. This, he underscored, will result in reducing risks of accidents while also leading to savings on repairs and fuel consumption.
“As we aim towards a significant reduction in road accidents in Mauritius, I take comfort that this new technology would assist drivers to better comply with speed limits by controlling the acceleration of their vehicle and will create a safer environment for all road users,” he stated.
On this note, the Minister outlined some measures introduced by his Ministry in terms of strengthening the legal framework through more stringent fines and penalties in the Road Traffic (Amendment) Act 2022, which came into force on 18 May 2022.
These include: drug testing on drivers; review of speed limits across various regions to reduce the severity of accidents and; implementation of ‘Belisha Beacons’ to warn drivers on the approach of a crossing.
Mr Ganoo also spoke of the intangible benefits of sensitisation and added that awareness campaigns are crucial to mitigating the risks and severity of road accidents.
“We can never overstate the impacts of targeted sensitisation on road safety and we need to instil new mindsets and tirelessly work towards inculcating safe road practices among our population,” he stressed.
In this context, he commended the initiatives of ICL to promote a road safety culture in Mauritius and partaking in the national efforts in promoting road safety.
For his part, Minister Balgobin highlighted that the Intelligent Speed Limiter of ICL is a brilliant and innovative system which will revolutionise driving culture on our roads, and will bring positive results where other measures have had limited results.
He further lauded the ICL for the Annual Road Safety Competition, which, according to him, is another great initiative that serves a good purpose in improving driver behavior on the road and will promote road safety measures and awareness among the drivers’ community.
In addition, Mr Balgobin dwelt on the measures taken by his Ministry as regards digital transformation so as to take Mauritius to the next level of its development curve.
These include: the deployment of 5G networks across the island and a fourth submarine cable to be launched in 2023; the MoKloud digital safe for the safekeeping of official documents in digital format for real-time verification and online sharing purposes; the MauPass digital identity system; the MoRendezVous platform for online bookings and; the setting up of the MauSign Certification Authority for the issue of digital certificates for individuals and corporates.
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