One of the problems affecting the return to school movement at this time is safety on roads.

So far, attention has only been focussed on the hardship experienced by parents in their attempts to get all that is necessary for pupils preparing for the new school year.

Yet, there are more problems on the surface than what the ordinary eye can see, least of which is not the multifarious difficulties engendered by having to move thousands of holidaymakers back to base. Last August 18, an accident was reported on the Buea-Kumba high-way in the South West Region, leading to the loss of three lives. The accident was blamed on reckless driving. Since then, there has been a quick succession of several others with a disturbing number of deaths.

First, it was on the Yaounde-Akonolinga road in the Centre Region where seven people lost their lives. Then it was at the dreaded “Falaise” near Dschang in the West Region on the Dschang-Melong road with a sinister four deaths. A few days ago in the Mvan neighbourhood in Yaounde, three lives were lost in a collision between a township taxi and a military truck. On Monday, it was reported that five people had also lost their lives in another collision between two vehicles near Baham in the West Region. In ten days, some 22 lives have been lost. And yet, it is hardly the heart of the peak season when one expects hundreds, probably thousands of students to hit national roads with the return-to-school movement in view.

Parents are obviously scared about letting their siblings take to the road, especially when these accidents seem to be on the upward trend.

Security agencies as well as road safety and accident prevention bodies are already warming up to be on major roads in the next few days. That’s fine. But it must be said that this will not be the first time we see such deployment. With recurrent accidents, it is evident that these measures have their limits and need to be revisited. There is therefore need for firmer measures that can deter road users from falling into the same faults so regularly.