The Motor Vehicle Accident Fund (MVA) has installed community safety marshalls at Akuniihole Primary School in the Oshana region on Monday.

The programme will educate learners of Akuniihole about road safety and also keep them safe whenever they cross the road.

Learners at Akuniihole are located near the highway and many of them cross the highway every morning and afternoon as they go to and from schools.

Akuniihole has lost five learners and four have suffered injuries after being bumped on the road to school.

Learners in lower grades are usually the victims of these accidents.

The MVA Fund, along with its partners National Roads Safety Council and the private sector forum, started this community safety marshall programme to save the lives of the learners.

MVA Fund’s senior manager for accident and injury prevention Sidney Boois said the right to life must be respected and stringent punitive measures such as the revocation of driving licenses should be implemented as a matter of urgency to remove drivers who are a danger to other road users and the community at large.

“The leading causes of crashes in Namibia, namely speeding, drunk driving, reckless driving and serious injuries. Licenses of those who are guilty of these offences should be revoked,” he said.

Learners were taught through various activities how to cross the road, and they were also provided with relevant information on how the MVA Fund operates.

Speaking at the occasion, the commander of Oshana Namibian Police, Rauha Amwele thanked the MVA fund for this informative campaign because it will simply help learners and pensioners in the area of Akuniihole to cross the road properly – and this will help prevent accidents.

Amwele said there is already a campaign that focuses on the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol and the roadworthiness of vehicles on public roads.

She stressed the main target of this campaign is to ensure drivers on national roads are screened.

“Let’s adhere to the road signs; do not drink and drive, and avoid the use of mobile phones while driving,” she urged.

The learners were also given reflector gear to wear whenever crossing the roads.

In the same vein, MVA Fund has also donated four bicycles and uniforms to four men who volunteered at the Akuniihole pedestrian crossing.

These men have been volunteering to help young ones cross the road since the beginning of this year.

Meanwhile, the amount of N$10 150 was raised during the Akuniihole community safety marshall launch and it will be given to the volunteers.

The four men were also provided with training on how to assist learners to cross the road.

 - fhamalwa@nepc.com.na