Chief applauds ban support

 By GABRIEL LAHOC

THE National Road Safety Authority has welcomed the move to impose a ban on some route 100 buses travelling at night.

Authority chief executive officer Nelson Terema said the highway motorists were now informed and educated.

Some public motor vehicle drivers interviewed in Lae were split on the ban. Those who supported it said the night trips between Lae and the Highlands provinces had contributed to fatal road accidents.

“Money is secondary. The lives of people is the priority. PMV operators must understand where we are coming from,” he said.

“It’s good to know that some people appreciated the importance of safety. Safety is paramount and the National Road Safety Council will make sure that the ban is enforced.

“I am appealing to other enforcement agencies to cooperate with us in implementing this ban.”

Those who had opposed the ban said their businesses were affected, including those who sold food to passengers on the roadside at night.

Terema said the practice of night operations known as tulait tulait  bas (dawn bus) existed for the past five years.

He said roadside vendors still had the day to do business.

Buses were forced to spend the night in Goroka and Mt Hagen before proceeding to their destinations.