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Students, Police, UN staff, and others marched from UNDP’s main office to the South Sudan Hotel
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By
Danielle Botti, Information
Officer, Rule of Law Unit, UNDP
Southern Sudan
Traffic accidents, particularly
motorcycle accidents, are a widespread
problem across Southern Sudan. More
vehicles on the roads increase the
availability of transportation for
people, goods, and services, but
when road safety procedures and
laws are neglected, drivers, passengers,
and pedestrians are all at risk.
To establish workable public policies
for safety, observance of traffic
rules, and public conformity with
the law, UNDP, UNMIS, and the Southern
Sudan Police Service (SSPS) launched
the third Southern Sudan Road Safety
Campaign, “Protect the Peace:
Share the Road”.
Students from schools across Juba,
officers from the Southern Sudan
Traffic Police, and the SSPS band
took to the streets on Saturday,
the 14th of February, to march for
Road Safety. The march ended at
the South Sudan Hotel, where the
students staged a number of creative
arts performances including drama,
poetry readings, songs, and an exhibit
of paintings designed to raise awareness
on road safety challenges being
faced in Southern Sudan.
Under the guidance of UNDP Rule
of Law Officers, students crafted
their own performances, which encouraged
others to support the infrastructure
development and safety regulations
being launched by the police.
By empowering students to use road
safety messages to protect themselves
and their fellow citizens, the campaign
introduces the public to basic regulations
and laws, and enables them to take
control of road safety in their
communities.
The Southern Sudan Road Safety Campaign,
backed by the Southern Sudan Police
Services, UNDP and UN Police began
in 2007. This highly publicized
campaign encouraged communities
to keep livestock off Juba’s
roads and respect general road safety
measures.
In December 2008, the Southern Sudan
Traffic Police, UNDP and UNMIS followed
up by facilitating a workshop to
train traffic police officers from
all 10 states on Sudan’s traffic
laws and regulations. During the
workshop the officers were taught
how to collect evidence after a
road accident, how to follow proper
procedures for road safety, and
how to administer basic first aid
to accident victims.
The campaign continued in March
with the training of 300 traffic
control police officers, 30 from
each of the 10 states across Southern
Sudan. Traffic safety equipment
such as reflective vests, stop signs,
computers for managing road safety
data and other supplies were provided
to local traffic police stations
to better manage road safety throughout
the region.
The Road Safety Campaign fits in
with the strategic partnership between
UNDP, UNMIS and the Southern Sudan
Police Service. It strives to increase
awareness and adherence to rule
of law and justice throughout Southern
Sudan. UNDP, through its Support
to Police and Prisons project, funded
by the Government of Southern Sudan
and the Multi-Donor Trust Fund,
is committed to supporting the South
Sudan Police Service to enhance
rule of law for the people of Southern
Sudan.
