RSIPF call on road users including drivers and pedestrians to extra precaution
File photo
The Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) call on road users including drivers and pedestrians to extra precaution during the festive season and with the improvement in the condition of roads especially in the centre of Honiara.
“It’s very sad that we have recorded eight fatalities on our roads on Guadalcanal and in Honiara from the beginning of November to 5 December. These are eight lives that we could still have with us today but sadly they have gone because someone has forgotten to heed the messages police has been sending out to the public,” says RSIPF Commissioner Matthew Varley as he announced the third fatality in the traffic accident at the Bahi (Snake) Hill in North West Guadalcanal on 1 December and the death a 60-year-old man after he was ran over by a public bus near the Chinatown Overhead Bridge in Honiara on the evening of 5 December 2018.
The other fatalities were recorded during a fatal bicycle collision on 30 November at Saha Hill in the Aruligo area in North West and a fatal road accident close to the Suva road in North Guadalcanal on 2 November 2018.
“Our sympathies go out to the families and relatives of the deceased but these are lives that should not have gone if the drivers and the pedestrians had exercised more precaution and listened to messages that the police continues to repeat during road safety campaigns,” Commissioner Varley says.
He emphasises:
“The key messages have been and we will continue to repeat this –
•Do not drink and drive;
• Do not overload your vehicle;
• Ensure your vehicle has a valid license and the driver has a valid driver’s license;
• Use the designated road crossings like the underground pass near the Central Market in Honiara and the Chinatown Overhead Bridge;
• Do not hope on a vehicle when you see it is already overloaded; and
• Do not drive over the legal speed (50kmph) just because the road is in a good condition.”
“We do not want to lose any more lives during the festive season because everyone wants to enjoy the festivities with family members. Let us lookout for each other during the various activities including feasting and sport activities that are usually held during the Christmas and New Year celebrations in our towns and villages,” says Commissioner Varley.
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Media contact information
RSIPF Media Unit
Rove Police Headquarters
Rove, Honiara
Solomon Islands
Phone: 24016 or 23800 Ext 239
Email: rsipf.media@rsipf.gov.sb