“Careless Drivers” – Transport Minister on Traffic Fatalities

Rodwell Ferguson

We have been reporting on a number of fatal road traffic accidents on major highways across the country. In fact, in last week alone five persons lost their lives in separate vehicle collisions; three in one incident on the Philip Goldson Highway. Speeding and overtaking on curves are among the contributing factors. Transport Minister Rodwell Ferguson says that drivers have been negligent on the road and safety must be a priority.

Rodwell Ferguson, Minister of Transport

“That is very unfortunate, but then you have to lef that to negligence of the driver. What we attempt to do at the Ministry of Transport is to establish a school that all drivers need to go to and if you want to transition from one level to the next, then you have to go through that school. Likewise, it will make sure that you meet the criteria of the Department of Transport. But our drivers on the highway are too careless. We only have two lane highways where you have to pass the opposite disdrection; it is not like in America where all traffic goes in one direction. There would be less accident then. But I have to blame it solely on the drivers that they are very careless. As the department of transport, we have to make sure we educate them properly to make sure that they are doing the right thing. So with the driving school coming to place that would definitely mitigate the amount of accidents on the highway because it is very unfortunate.”

Minister Ferguson says that in partnership with the Ministry of Education, the driving school should be in place at the ITVETs by September.