Minister King at Thursday’s launch of the Department of Infracture’s Islandwide Roads Safety Assessment Project
(SNO) — An average of about 20 road deaths are recorded each year in Saint Lucia, Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure has disclosed.
“For the last decade Saint Lucia has lost 169 citizens to fatal crashes – an average of approximately 20 road deaths every year. Since 2016 Saint Lucia has also recorded 1,469 serious vehicular accidents and 4,934 minor accidents,” King further disclosed on Facebook as the Department of Infrastructure on Thursday, March 14 launched the “Islandwide Roads Safety Assessment Project”.
King said this project will determine what interventions are necessary to deliver safer roads for all road users, adding that “as Minister for Infrastructure, I am extremely concerned about the rate of road fatalities occurring here”.
“Whether directly or indirectly we all share the grief and suffering as a result of unnecessary deaths and carnage on the island roads,” he said.
The minister said in addition to losing many productive citizens “this situation also places a burden on the healthcare sector and is anti-development”.
“The Administration in which I serve, is committed to ensuring the commute of our roads is alot safer for both motorists and pedestrians. For us one life lost by vehicular collision or accident is one too many. This is why as a government we have and will continue to invest heavily in our roads safety programme,” King wrote.
Some recent interventions, King said, include the installation of more traffic and directional signs around the island, the recently activated road-markings programme and the installation of over 345 meters of vehicular guardrails in “risky areas” around the island, all during the last financial year.
The former prime minister said the Road Safety Assessment Project launched on Thursday “will certainly compliment Saint Lucia`s Roads Safety Agenda”.
The project is being financed by United Kingdom (UK) government through its Department for International Development (DFID).
King said Saint Lucia is “extremely grateful” to the UK for their support in “safeguarding the lives of our citizens and visitors alike”.
He also wrote: “This Government of #Workers is committed beyond just the rhetoric and we will do what it takes to safe lives by making our roads safer. When drivers make a mistake or an error, they should feel safe knowing the various measures are in place to save their lives.
“Safer roads are not just a social justice issue; they also make sound business sense too. Dollar for dollar, they provide one of the highest possible public investment returns a country can make. Saint Lucia is proud today, to make this investment.”
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