Just as the Head of State on November 3 last year condemned reckless driving by irresponsible road users which is causing huge numbers of deaths on the highway, Robert Nkili also decried road delinquency and reiterated the need for all actors to be sensitised on road safety. While talking to participants at the start of the workshop, the Minister of Transport said it is no more a secret in Cameroon that many people are victims of ghastly road accidents each day. Statistics indicate that from 2006 to 2008 some 30,858 accidents were registered along highways in the country. From January 1st to December 31, 2011, information indicates that 2,607 accidents were registered.
Authorities say a majority of accidents are caused by reckless driving. Considering its delicate mission of ensuring road safety, the Ministry of Transport has engaged within the Decade of Road Safety initiated by the United Nations to organising the current workshop to share and exchange ideas with partners on best ways to make roads safe in Cameroon. For two-days, actors in the road safety sector are reviewing road security and the fight against delinquency in Cameroon. Robert Nkili told participants that they should analyse the link between the concept of security and road delinquency in a bid to find a solution to the problems faced on major roads in Cameroon.
While participants looked at road laws and road accidents, they also focused on corruption which is another serious problem in the road sector for it is said that corruption is a principal cause of road delinquency. Participants not only examine corruption which can be considered the “cankerworm” in the road sector but also good governance which is a dynamic factor to ensure smooth functioning in the sector.
