A wreath laying ceremony was held, this morning, at the Stele found at Sorèze, to commemorate the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims 2021.
The Vice-President of the Republic of Mauritius, Mr Marie Cyril Eddy Boissézon, the Minister of Land Transport and Light Rail and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Mr Alan Ganoo, as well as several other eminent personalities were present at the event.
In a statement following the wreath laying ceremony, Minister Ganoo highlighted that reducing the number of road accidents and casualties is one of Government’s priorities adding that all necessary measures are being taken in this endeavour. The enforcement of laws, sensitisation campaigns, and educational programmes are means used to create awareness on the gravity of road accidents, he recalled.
Moreover, he underlined that the driving culture in Mauritius should be changed as many people are involved in careless driving which result in fatalities on the road. He reiterated that saving the lives of people and road safety should be a matter of concern for each and every one. On that note, he lauded the work being done by several Non-Governmental Organisations to curb the number of road accidents.
Mr Ganoo also informed that the average number of road accidents worldwide is around 1.3 million and, in Mauritius, the yearly average is 140 accidents in which 40% are motorcyclists, more precisely the youths. On that note, he appealed to the population to adopt safe driving practices so as to fight the scourge of road accidents.
The Minister indicated that this Day offers an opportunity to pay tribute to road victims and all those who deal with the traumatic aftermath of road accidents. It also marks the effort made by the global community, including the Government, to reduce road casualties, he concluded.
World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims
This Day is commemorated on the third Sunday of November each year. The chosen motto and theme for this year are “Remember. Support. Act.” and “Act for Low Speed Streets” respectively which lay emphasis on the reduction of traffic speeds which has the potential to prevent deaths and serious injuries, in particular of pedestrians and all other vulnerable road users.