Road safety operation winds up

By JAYNE SAFIHAO
MADANG has yet again been chosen as the venue for the National Road Safety Council awareness operations during Christmas and New Year.
The three-week operations was part of their nationwide exercise on road safety, acting director Nelson Terema said.
It was done in partnership with the liqour licensing inspector James Apima and traffic police.
Selected spots leading into Madang as far as Ramu and North Coast were targeted.
There were 12 road accidents reported – two each in Talidig-Dylup, Walium and Ramu Sugar and six in Madang town.
A total of 26 arrests were reported during the operation.
The arrests were for traffic offences and others
such as firearm possession, drug, willful damage, drunk and disorderly, using insulting words, assault and possession of illicit liquor (yawa).
A total of 4994 traffic infringement notices were issued, with a total of K210,866 collected for the period.
The most common offences committed during the period was overloading with 1,482 offenders, 506 unroadworthy vehicles and 457 vehicles with defective tyres.
NRSC officer Paul
Aihi said K200 million was spent by the government on road accidents which claimed about 1,000 lives every year.
Provincial acting director finance Thomas Neruse said the lands transport division within the province was the second biggest money maker in the province after the goods and services tax therefore it should be adequately supported by the provincial government.
He stressed that K1.7 million was generated internally  but the division could generate more if given the necessary support and allocated an office of their own supported by  information and communication technology linking a central database for ease of information.