28 Jul 2014

Acting Minister for  Presidential Affairs and Public Administration, Mr Shaw Kgathi has implored Motor Vehicle and Accident (MVA) Fund to invest more on research to establish road carnage causes.

Mr Kgathi was speaking during the MVA fund stakeholder dinner in Bobonong on July 26. He said there was need to invest more resources on conducting research on what contributed to high causes of road accidents.

He said since road accidents claimed many lives and were costly to the economy road safety was duty bound to everybody and road safety should be an investment.

Accidents he said bring grief, terrible loss to in terms of insurance claims, rehabilitating and supporting those affected hence a need to conduct a thorough research on why road accidents statistics keep on increasing.

Mr Kgathi also Member of Parliament for Bobirwa said some accidents were caused by abandoned animals in the communal area and suggested that MVA should engage on an intense public education especially to cattle owners at cattlepost.

He said driving at night has become a nightmare because cattle owners have developed a tendency to graze their animals at night, whereas in the past cattle grazed during the day and were kept in kraals at night.

The minister said also as a way of promoting safety on the roads the fund should also employ road guides to assist pedestrians cross the roads and in a way would help create employment.

Further he challenged MVA to conduct an audit of laws which many affect their operations and set up standards and monitor dealers who might seal motor accessories such as tyres.

Some dealers have found loopholes to use material that have expired on items like tyres and dump them in the country and there should be standards on the kind of materials required on tyres, he said.

Mr Kgathi said there should be research to establish whether penalties were a deterrent urging that those fined continue to commit offences.

He said it was upon the bases of research that MVA can inform legislatures to change laws that that were a deterrent to their operations.

The minister however was thankful of MVA activities of promoting road safety among the youth.

He said the tag-line catch them young was an investment for the future and people must know that accidents were not destined to certain people.

MVA had organised the dinner to share experiences and strengthen relationship with the stakeholders as well as educate the public about its services that not limited to compensation but to promotion of road safety, rehabilitating and supporting those affected by road crashes.

MVA fund chief executive officer Mr Cross Kgosidiile road safety can only be achieved if they collaborate with the public.

Mr Kgosidiile said to infuse education MVA has focused on activities of national interest such as agricultural shows around the country which allows the fund to pass the message.

The stakeholders were shown the video depicting the activities of MVA. ENDS