Police in Burera District conducted a road safety awareness campaign on March 18 reaching out to commercial motorcyclists and cyclists, and students as part of the Rwanda National Police (RNP) programmes to prevent accidents and further improve road security.
Supt. Dieudonne Rwangombwa, the District Police Commander of Burera, while addressing the three groups of road users totaling to about 800, noted that some of the road accidents are caused by careless cyclists and motorcyclists, who continue to breach traffic rules and regulations.
“When you are using the road, remember there are other people also using it. Bad maneuvers and speeding leave your lives and that of other road users in danger,” he said.
He encouraged every passenger to watch their drivers and report any misconduct to the authorities,” adding that it is a collective responsibility to ensure safety on the roads.
The event was also characterized by repainting and establishing zebra crossings.
Reacting on Zebra Crossing, he said: “A zebra crossing is a type of pedestrian crossing with distinguished alternating dark and light stripes on the road surface, resembling the coat of a zebra. A zebra crossing typically gives priority rights of way to pedestrians,” Supt. Rwangombwa said.
“Some of you have dangerous tendencies of crossing the road without taking care of road signal and traffic light, which should stop with immediate effect. Always be vigilant and in case you want to stop a vehicle so your colleagues can cross the road, you should raise a hand towards the direction where a vehicle is coming from but wait until the automobile stops to cross,” he added.
“Stop, look, listen and think; set a good example by observing the rules yourself,” he noted.
Faustin Niyonzima, the school head-teacher, who thanked RNP for extending such road safety message to the students, noted that this has opened their eyes on how to behave while walking or crossing the roads.
“It also leaves us with a challenge as teachers to teach students on how to cope with traffic independently and ensure that they remember and follow safety procedures,” Niyonzima said.
Patrick Mugwaneza, one of motorcyclists said that “this action reminds us to be vigilant and respect the pedestrians’ rights on the road.”
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