The Ministry of Public Works and Transport and the General Secretariat of the National Committee on Road Traffic Safety will lead the push in the capital and 24 provinces, ministry secretary of state Min Manvy told The Post on Monday. Supplied
Government agencies plan to re-launch a road safety education campaign in July after recent efforts hit a roadblock due to the re-emergence of Covid-19.
The Ministry of Public Works and Transport and the General Secretariat of the National Committee on Road Traffic Safety will lead the push in the capital and 24 provinces, ministry secretary of state Min Manvy told The Post on Monday.
She said the first road safety classes took place from June 23-26 when representatives from half a dozen state and local agencies launched the campaign in four provinces – Mondulkiri, Ratanakkiri, Steung Treng and Preah Vihear.
But Manvy said the recent cases of novel coronavirus infections caused concern, prompting authorities to take a temporary break.
“Because Covid-19 recently resurfaced, we will see if the situation quietens down before continuing,” she said.
The project is led by the ministry, the General Secretariat of the National Committee on Road Traffic Safety, the provincial departments of public works and transport, the provincial deputy committees on road traffic safety and the Cambodian Union of Youth Federations (CUYF) in the public works and transport sectors.
The ministry’s Road Traffic Safety Department director Prom Vantha said on Monday a working group already met with citizens for question-and-answer sessions about road traffic safety.
He said the group provided the 500 attendees with helmets and explained Cambodian driving rules. He said the campaign will restart in Kandal, Takeo, Kampot and Kep when Covid-19 subsides.
“We launched this campaign to awaken all road users, especially motorcycle riders to heed road traffic laws. Hopefully, they take part in preventing and reducing road traffic accidents,” he said.
Asia Injury Prevention Foundation (AIP) country director Kim Pagna said on Monday AIP will work with the ministry and relevant bodies to carry out the work this year.
“We want to send a message to citizens that fines will be raised,” he said.
Pagna said AIP launched an education campaign on road traffic safety on some major national roads, including National Roads 4, 6 and 1 on June 27. He said AIP will carry out the campaign in the main provinces more than 70 times this year.
