RA involves //Kharas Region youth in road safety

KEETMANSHOOP, 18 JUL – Roads Authority (RA) held a //Kharas youth road safety consultative meeting here on Wednesday at the Keetmanshoop Youth Centre.
The meeting was held under the theme ‘Team work makes the dream work’ and 20 youth from the region attended it.
It aimed to give young people a voice on the road safety, to encourage and support the emergence of a national cadre of young road safety leaders and also to establish a steering committee that will raise awareness on road safety at regional level.
In a speech read on her behalf, //Kharas Governor, Lucia Basson said the call made by RA for safe and efficient roads needs the involvement of all road users.
She added it requires change catalysts such as the appointment of youth road safety ambassadors for the region with clear terms of reference to implement programmes among the youth.
“These would include among others identifying and training of willing volunteers who could actively participate at roadblocks to educate and inform the public, visit schools, activations in shopping malls as well as community platforms,” Basson said.
She said youth empowerment should be the key driver in road safety endeavours and called upon the business community and corporate organisations to join the road safety task force in the quest for training of willing youth volunteers as first responders, especially those living in high-crash zones.
“I also request for more support for the community radio to enable them for a wider reach to educate and inform our communities. In contributing to these areas, we as business communities empower the youth to be productive citizens and it is part of nation building,” she added.
Namibian Police Force (NamPol) //Kharas Regional Commander, Rudolf Isaak urged the youth present at the meeting to take hands and empower road users towards a safe tomorrow, not only for themselves but also for their families.
“If you do not write the code of conduct on your heart, you will not honour the traffic regulations. Moral authority requires the sacrifice of short-term selfish interest and exercise of courage,” Isaak urged.
He said he believes that after the consultative meeting, the youth will realise the utmost importance to foster a spirit of cooperation in the fight against awareness and adhering to road safety.
Isaak also assured the RA of NamPol’s assistance and cooperation in the fight for road safety.
(NAMPA)