www.slrsa.gov.sl
4th June 2025

The Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority (SLRSA) through it’s supervisory ministry, the Ministry of Transport and Aviation has engaged both Members of the Legislative and Transport Committee in order to ratify the African Road Safety Charter.

In a meeting held at the Speaker’s Conference Room in the House of Parliament, Tower Hill Freetown, the Company Secretary of the Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority (SLRSA) Abu-Bakarr Sheriff Esq. gave a detailed presentation on the historical context and justification for the ratification of the charter.

In his presentation, he emphasized that the African Road Safety Charter was adopted at the 26th Ordinary Session of the African Union (AU) Assembly held in Addis Ababa on 31st January, 2016.

Speaking on the importance of the Charter, the Company Secretary explained that the Charter serves as a policy framework for road safety improvements in Africa and also serve as an advocacy tool and instrument for road safety on the continent aimed at facilitating the creation of an enabling environment to drastically reduce road traffic crashes on the continent.

Addressing SLRSA Officials present, the Chairman of the Legislative Committee, Hon. Abdul Maray-Conteh applauded the team for putting the document together and assured them that Parliament will seat, debate and subsequently ratify the document as it was clearly disconnected from any political gimmick and its self explainatory.

He continued by stating that his greatest concern was the implementation of the charter after ratification. He furthered that the SLRSA will have to work jointly with other state actors such as the private sector, NGO’s and other sister agencies to ensure the full implementation of the document.

The Deputy Opposition Leader of the All People’s Congress (APC), Hon. Daniel Koroma said that, the move by SLRSA to ratify the Charter is such a laudable venture and furthered advised the SLRSA to work with Emergency Hospital in the area of establishing post crash facilities in the country.

Several concerns were raised by the committees emphasising on road safety education and the populirization of the African Road Safety Charter as stated in article 22 of the charter.

In response, the Company Secretary, Abu-Bakarr Sheriff Esq. allayed the fears of the Members of Parliament. He furthered that, after the ratification and deposition of instruments by Fifteen (15) members states, the African Union would required for the Charter to enter into force. It would trigger the establishment and operationalization of African Road Safety Observatory (AFSO) fostering cooperation among member states to generate credible data on Road Safety in Africa which serves as political and technical forum to discuss Safety and Mobility issues, road safety policies and strategies to reduce road fatalities and serious injuries.