City Hall and Courts Sign MOU for Traffic Safety

This afternoon, a little girl was knocked down and seriously injured as she rode on the back of a motorcycle with an adult.  The incident happened on New Road shortly after two p.m.  The minor, in her school uniform, was not wearing a helmet when the driver of the motorcycle collided into an oncoming vehicle.  We do not know the extent of the child’s injury; however, the accident came several hours after the Belize City Council signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Unicomer, the parent company of Courts Belize, for a traffic safety campaign.  There has been a significant increase in the cases of road traffic accidents involving persons on motorcycles.  The alarming rate of these RTAs has prompted several agencies, including the Traffic and Transport departments to join forces for law enforcement.  News Five’s Isani Cayetano has the following story.

 

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

Traffic safety prevents accidents that can lead to injuries or fatalities.  With a marked increase in the number of motorcycle accidents recorded since the beginning of the year, the Belize City Council and Unicomer have joined forces to raise public awareness on the recurrent issue of road traffic accidents involving motorcycles.  RTAs are a significant public health concern, resulting in death or serious injuries that have long-term impacts on health and quality of life.

 

Bernard Wagner, Belize City Mayor

“We have been noting for some time now that motorcycle accidents have been on the rise.  You can see for this year that twenty-seven out of sixty-five fatalities were through motorcycles, and as a city and a responsible municipality, we couldn’t sit by without taking some proactive steps.  Being able to partner with Unicomer and Courts and the entire and the entire AKT team was something substantial for us.”

 

CitCo and the parent company for Courts Belize have entered a memorandum of understanding that will see a joint effort in public information being shared on road safety.  Edgar Alvarez is the Commercial Regional Manager for the automotive division of Unicomer.

 

Edgar Alvarez, Commercial Regional Manager, Unicomer

“We see it very important to take care of the people that are in the streets, you know, not just as the mayor mentioned, riding the bikes but the people that are surrounding the streets.  It’s not just the driver that is the person that is one hundred percent responsible for the accidents.  We have some pedestrians and we have other people that are involved in different accidents that are not behaving the way they should be.”

 

Courts Belize is the agent for AKT motorcycles.  Following its growth in Colombia, the company decided to expand its reach into Central America and the Caribbean through the Unicomer Group.  The well-known AKT 150GT was introduced to Belize four years ago.

 

Edgar Alvarez

“So we saw the increase in the sales of the motorcycles, the increase in the accidents that were happening in the streets and we decided to go the best way possible with the Belize City Council to really have an impact on the society and the people that are driving the motorcycles.”

 

Traffic accidents can be costly, involving medical expenses, repairs and lost productivity.  Reducing accidents through safe driving practices helps minimize these economic burdens.  Adhering to traffic laws is a legal obligation.  Violations can result in fines, penalties, or even imprisonment, depending on the gravity of the offense.

 

Bernard Wagner

“What this will do now is really assist us in providing the equipment for some of our enforcement officers, being able to have the necessary equipment to enforce the traffic laws within Belize City.  We also looking at how we could raise awareness through campaigns and we also have to ramp up enforcement, that is the key part.  So it has to be a kind of multi-sectoral approach.  We require, again, assistance through the Transport Department, as well, in terms of really looking at how we could enhance the existing laws that we have in place, in terms of penalties.”

 

By prioritizing traffic safety, motorists can contribute to a safer, more efficient, and more harmonious road environment for everyone. Isani Cayetano for News Five.