The Minister of Security Mahamoudou Sana chaired the launch of the activities of the 8th edition of road safety week on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, in Ouagadougou. Placed on the theme: “My helmet for life”, this edition will take place from October 1 to 6, 2024, in all the cities of Burkina Faso.
Cases of accidents and deaths linked to non-compliance with road safety rules call on the authorities to take measures to protect the lives of the population. To this end, the National Road Safety Office (ONASER) holds annual awareness days for road users. Called road safety week, the activities of the 8th edition were launched on Tuesday October 1, 2024, in Ouagadougou on the theme: “My helmet for life”. According to the Minister of Security Mahamoudou Sana, the years pass and the accident statistics increase. For this reason, the road safety week was included as a contract of objectives between the State and ONASER. Also, he recalled, in January 2024, the government required that the sale of motorcycles be associated with helmets to avoid cases of serious accidents. For the minister, from January 2025, the agents in charge of road safety will carry out checks and effectively implement this measure. During this week, several initiatives will be implemented. “Communication will be made to transporters and those involved in the promotion of road safety.
We are also considering the production of a security guide for public transport operators to facilitate control from stations in order to reduce police harassment during travel,” indicated the minister.
Identified places
Furthermore, he invited the population to participate massively in the various activities and obtain helmets at subsidized prices. To carry out the week’s actions, strategic locations have been identified. For the director general of ONASER, Regma Zongo, roundabouts or public spaces in regional capitals will serve as a framework for the awareness campaign on speed access control actions. One of the innovations this week, according to him, is driver training. Likewise in schools, he proposed collaboration with the Ministry of Basic Education, Literacy and Promotion of National Languages for formal training from a young age. “I invite users and road traffic stakeholders to support us for the success of the activities. The aim is to protect users on the road,” he stressed. After thanking ONASER officials for receiving a helmet, Salif Ouédraogo invited other users to respect the highway code.
Oumarou RABO
Pauline KIEMA
(Intern)