- JUNIOR DOWIE/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Michelle Francis (centre), mother of Alrick Davis who was killed in a motor vehicle accident along East Queen Street, Kingston, yesterday, is assisted by friends after viewing her son's body at the scene.
LESS THAN 24 hours after five persons were killed in a motor vehicle accident along Highway 2000, Robert Pickersgill, Minister of Housing, Transport and Works, said Government plans to institute several measures to make Jamaica's roads safer.
Mr. Pickersgill announced some of the initiatives during the launch of the Road Safety Programme at the Terra Nova Hotel in St. Andrew. He said several of the projects will be implemented this year by the National Works Agency (NWA).
PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES
"A programme for re-identification and re-construction for collision bad spots is to be put in place by the NWA which has identified seven such spots islandwide," Mr. Pickersgill said. "In addition, the NWA will be putting (in place) a multimillion-dollar programme for the rehabilitation and construction of pedestrian facilities islandwide."
The Road Safety Programme is jointly spearheaded by the Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS) and its affiliate members, the Jamaica Automobile Association (JAA) and NEM Insurance Company Limited.
Earl Jarrett, general manager at JNBS, said the growing number of road fatalities and accidents is proof that Jamaica needs more stringent safety methods if there is to be a reduction in these figures.
Mr. Jarrett reported that figures from the Toll Authority showed 30 per cent of accidents on the toll road resulted from faulty tyres.
Five persons were killed along Highway 2000 Thursday when a tyre on the mini-van in which they were travelling, blew.
The Spanish Town police have now identified the fifth victim in the accident as Lenora Allen, 44-year-old higgler of Greenvale district in Manchester.
KILLED BY TRUCK
Yesterday, an accident claimed the life of a 13-year-old student of the Donald Quarrie High School in Kingston.
The student, Alrick Davis, was reportedly riding a bicycle along East Queen Street in the direction of Parade when he allegedly held on to a tarpaulin on a truck travelling in the same direction, lost his balance, fell and was killed.
