Target to halve road deaths by 2010

ROAD deaths must be cut by 50 per cent by 2010, Communications and Works Minister Kikis Kazamias said yesterday after meeting with the Road Safety Council.
Kazamias said the Council would be ready to implement its latest action programme by May 13 when it next convenes.

The programme was initially scheduled for the period 2002-2006 but for various reasons never got off the ground. In line with the European Commission’s action programme to cut road deaths by half by 2010, the minister said Cyprus would implement a new action plan for 2004-2010.

Kazamias will go to Dublin on April 6 for the signing of the European Road Safety Charter, to be signed by the Transport Ministers of the 25 member states. The minister highlighted that the charter was aimed mainly at non-governmental organisations and the private sector. CyTA, which is the ministry’s biggest sponsor on road safety, has agreed to co-sign the agreement in Dublin.

At the meeting, all parties agreed to approve the adoption of the European Road Safety Charter which has as its aim the involvement of member state communities to reduce road deaths. Kazamias said Cyprus would have to reduce its annual road deaths from 103 to 51 by 2010.

“Cypriot society should be particularly carefully during Easter which coincides with the World Road Safety Week. A Holy Week without road deaths will please not only the Council but all of us,” said Kazamias.

He applauded the achievement of the road safety game Stop-Stop, which attracted 11,000 young players and announced the making of a 45-minute video to promote the aims of the Council. The video includes an account of the experiences of people who were traumatised by road accidents.

There around 40,000 fatalities and 1.7million casualties yearly caused by road accidents in the 15 EU countries. The EU hopes to reduce the number to 20,000 by 2010.

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