Minister urges greater caution on the roads

MINISTER of Housing and Transport Jobeth Coleby-Davis.

As of Friday, December 16, 2022

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

TRANSPORT and Housing Minister JoBeth Coleby-Davis is urging members of the public to exercise “greater” caution on the roadways amidst the increase of traffic fatalities in recent weeks.

The Ministry of Transport and Housing and BTC are partnering to raise awareness on road safety in an effort to reduce the number of traffic fatalities. A road safety campaign will be launched soon, officials said.

On Friday the Transport and Housing Ministry released a statement urging motorists and pedestrians to exercise care on the streets.

To kick off this collaboration, mobile users of BTC received an SMS message promoting safe road usage.

According to data from the Royal Bahama Police Force, 55 persons have been victims of traffic fatalities thus far, 83 percent of them being males.

The ministry noted that there was a “significant” increase in fatal traffic accidents on the islands of New Providence and Eleuthera.

“The number of traffic fatalities on New Providence rose from 18 in 2021 to 29 so far in 2022,” the statement said. “On Eleuthera, the number of traffic fatalities grew from 1 in 2022 to seven so far for 2022.”

The Ministry of Transport and Housing reported that the number of traffic accidents involving pedestrians rose from 10 in 2021, to 16 as of Friday, adding that more than 59 percent of traffic fatality victims were under the age of 46.

It is also indicated from the data that most fatal traffic accidents occurred on either Saturday or Sunday, during the hours of 4pm to midnight.

The Ministry of Transport and Housing revealed that in “short order”, it intends to launch a national road safety campaign aimed at reducing the number of traffic fatalities in accordance with the United Nations Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021 to 2030.

“Our goal is consistent with the United Nations to reduce the number of people who are dying on our streets,” the Elizabeth MP said.

She encouraged other telecommunication providers and civil society to partner with the Ministry of Transport and Housing on the national road safety campaign.

Recently, Chief Superintendent David Lockhart of the Royal Bahamas Police Force Traffic Division told this newspaper that the number of accidents in the country is “alarming”.

He noted that speeding was a big concern for police, adding that police visibility will be high on the streets as the holidays are approaching to crack down on traffic offences and ensure the safety of motorists.

Baha10 1 year, 11 months ago

First the blocking of Comments and now not a “single” Story on FTX … the “only” Story that matters … what’s up “Tribune” … we know this runs deep?!?

ThisIsOurs 1 year, 11 months ago

Oh please. Words are useless. Every day we see countless violations being ignored by police and drivers and pedestrians getting more and more daring with the reckless moves they make. You could stop all this tomorrow if you wanted to.

ThisIsOurs 1 year, 11 months ago

"To kick off this collaboration, mobile users of BTC received an SMS message promoting safe road usage."

This is a not a good idea. It shows a lack of understanding of your market, these SMS messages in addition to all the other garbage messages sent by the provider are a nuisance, as such noone pays attention to them. people want to see daredevils being caught and punished not told to behave. That's the clearest message you can send to everyone including violators. And nobody wants ridiculous draconian crackdowns, we want measures that effectively cut out foolishness, no body slamming people to the ground

truetruebahamian 1 year, 11 months ago

Perhaps calling should be disabled when the telephone instrument is in motion over 5 m.p.h.

AnObserver 1 year, 11 months ago

This. Combined with actual enforcement of basic traffic laws, turn signals, seat belts, properly maintained vehicles, fatalities would go to zero.

sheeprunner12 1 year, 11 months ago

The roads in the Family Islands are literally killing the citizens and destroying their vehicles with no recourse from Nassau.

Potholes, no cat-eyes, dark stretches with no street lights, narrow lanes, no striping guides, slicked surfaces, quarried surfaces, uneven surfaces, broken edges, deep corners, no caution street signs, utility trenches etc ........

Then Local Government has no funding or no authority or no initiative to step in ......... Yet we are facing higher RTD fees in January.

Jobeth, do you have a heart????? Do you have a clue????

It feels hopeless out here. Like no one cares.

IslandWarrior 1 year, 11 months ago

Land of The Rising Sun

The unreal horror of life in the Bahamas for Bahamians is nothing more than laughable if not; we will all sit down and cry. Politicians are so busy, in a frenzy, building their egos (and using their privileged positions of office), exposing themselves to the compromise of opportunities brought into the country by foreigners, benefiting themselves, family, and friends, and an elite class of wealthy Bahamian Families to the decline of everyone else.

At the same time, merchants, law enforcement, and public officials enjoy a painful orgy of abusing Bahamians through their corruption and evil economic practices. The disappointments of broken campaign promises and the heartbreaking 'run' played on Bahamians perpetrated by politicians every five years have cheapened the life and culture we once knew and enjoyed as Bahamians.

Our safety, comforts and growth are now irrelevant to pursuing shortsighted self-interest. While more and more Bahamians have become numb to the decay and suffering in The Bahamas, we now call life.

The Needs of The Country And its People Have Exceeded The Current Political Ideology. From 1967 to Now! How Have We Progressed As a People? What Opportunities Have We Missed, Mistakes Made, And How Do We Look Back at The Past 50 Years, And Move Forward To The Next 50 Years? Can The Colonial Footing That Created The Old Bahamas Sustain a Future Bahamas? Fundamental Social and Political Changes Are Needed For The Bahamas to Regain Its Once Held Position of Glory That Made Us All Hold Our Heads High and Proud To Be Called Bahamians?