18 May 2021

Minister of Transport and Communications, Mr Thulagano Segokgo on Monday signed a UN global road safety petition calling on member states to adopt and implement a 30km/hr speed limit May 17-23.

The minister, who also launched the sixth UN global road traffic week, said Botswana was among the few countries that had legislated on the speed limit. 

He said one of the Road Traffic Act regulations confirmed that the stated speed limit was already applied in the country. 

That, he said,  demonstrated that government was prioritising safety and the lives of all road users.

Mr Segokgo said road traffic week called on policy makers to advocate for low speed along streets in cities worldwide.

"This calls all to limit speeds to 30 km/h especially in densely populated areas where people live, work and play,’’ he said.

Regarding Botswana’s road accidents statistics, Mr Segokgo said the numbers were escalating.

He said  his ministry together with stakeholders had come with some interventions to  address the situation.

Mr Segokgo informed his audience that last month, a road safety adult team made up of different stakeholders conducted road assessment in some selected areas of Gaborone.

UN resident coordinator Mr Zia Chaudhury urged all governments to mobilise its stakeholders to raise awareness and advocate for road safety and make changes that would reduce death and injury numbers.

Mr Chaudhury said he hoped that the week would be the occasion to make policy commitments at national and local levels to deliver 30km/hr speed limit in urban and other areas.Giving the background, he said road safety week was commemorated every two years and that last August, the UN general assembly adopted a resolution to improve global road safety. 

It proclaimed 2021-2030 a decade of action for road safety with the ambitious target of preventing at least 50 per cent of road traffic deaths and injuries in 10 years time. 

 

"Streets for life #love 30” is the theme for road safety week. ENDS