The Papua New Guinea-Australia Partnership is working to improve road safety in Papua New Guinea.
A total of 140 participants recently took part in road safety workshops in Goroka, Eastern Highlands and Arawa in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville.
The Papua New Guinea Department of Works & Infrastructure delivered the workshops as part of the 2019 UN Global Road Safety Week with support from the Papua New Guinea-Australia Partnership and the Road Traffic Authority (RTA).
The 2019 theme for Road Safety Week is ‘Everyone is a Leader in Road Safety’ and the workshop aimed to inspire leaders to take action on road safety within PNG to address the high fatality rates on the country’s roads.
“These workshops give industry workers the tools to be leaders in improving our road safety statistics,” said Department of Works First Assistant Secretary for Design, Penias Paison.
Workshop sessions provided an overview of road safety in PNG and covered existing legislation, road safety for people with disabilities, traffic calming, designing safer roads, safe traffic control and occupational health and safety at project sites.
PNG has some of the highest rates of road accidents and fatalities in the Asia-Pacific. Many accidents could be avoided by not driving under the influence of alcohol, keeping to the speed limit and ensuring passengers wear seatbelts.
Participants were happy with the chance to attend a workshop for Road Safety Week. Serah Moliki, an engineer with Department of Works in Kokopo, said: “The workshop is a good reminder to abide by road rules and follow simple traffic signs to improve road safety.”
As part of UN Road Safety Week, and to provide leadership opportunities in road safety for young people, the RTA and Papua New Guinea-Australia Partnership have announced a new Bumper Sticker Competition.
Students are invited to design a colourful bumper sticker that promotes one of four road safety issues; buckle your seatbelt, don’t text and drive, keep to the speed limit, and look right and left before crossing the road.
The winning entries will receive a K250 stationery voucher and their design will be printed onto bumper stickers.
Entries for the competition close on 31st May 2019. Visit www.pngtssp.com for more information.
(Participants of the PNGAusPartnership and Road Traffic Authority workshop to improve road safety in PNG)