A panel discussion was held on road safety works being done to prevent traffic accidents around schools. March 26/2016):- Addis Ababa Traffic Management Authority held a panel discussion with stakeholders and partner organizations focusing on road safety activities being done to prevent traffic accidents around schools. Amare Tareqin, Director General of the authority office, who gave an introductory speech at the meeting, said that many works have been done to ensure safe traffic on the roads around the schools. Mr. Amare mentioned that among the works are pedestrian crossings/zebra/painting, improvement of junctions that are prone to traffic accidents, installation of signs and indicators, installation of speed limit humps and road safety awareness raising activities. He said that the preparation of the day's panel discussion should be taken as a good opportunity. Engineer Elias Zerga, director general of the authority's road safety engineering and operations sector, pointed out that after the 13-year road safety strategic plan was issued and put into operation in 2009, the risk of death has decreased by an average of seven percent. He said that in the past years, awareness raising and engineering works have been done according to the plan that special attention should be paid to schools. Ato Birhanu Kuma, representative director of Addis Ababa Traffic Management Authority's Road Safety Awareness and Capacity Building Directorate, said that rescuing productive citizens who lose their lives due to traffic accidents around schools is not a task left to one party, but the responsibility of the entire society. According to the discussion participants, the traffic management authority of Addis Ababa should be commended for the activities they are doing to prevent traffic accidents around schools. The participants of the discussion mentioned that the assistant student traffic organizers who are serving the society should be given an incentive and recognition award once a year; He also mentioned that the mass media should be involved in efforts to prevent traffic accidents around schools. He also stated that awareness raising activities should start from pre-formal education rather than primary school. The participants in the discussion were principals of schools, representatives of clubs, assistant student traffic police and stakeholders; The program of the discussion was concluded by suggesting that the leaders of the authority will correct the comments raised from the house and the things that need to be corrected and corrected and the activities to be done in the area of schools.
