Press Meeting (22.10.2010)

Presentation of Press Meeting

Photograph

The breakfast meeting organised by the press is held in Lefkoşa Merit Hotel. Besides Mr.  Hamza Ersan Saner , Section Manager from the European Commission, Mr. Ismo Ulvila and the Chairman of the Road and Traffic Accident Prevention Association, Dr. Mehmet Avcı participated in to the meeting.

Meeting started with the speech of Mr. Ismo Ulvila. The speech referred to the practices in the EU, drawing attention to the importance of education in terms of traffic safety. Mr. Ismo Ulvila thanked the people who had worked on the project.

Mr. Ersan Saner said that as the local authority in charge of public works and transportation they were implementing the EU funded "Road Safety Education and Campaigning" project with the main target of providing information and training on the main factors causing traffic accidents in our country and the measures to be taken in order to reduce the number of traffic accidents to a minimum.

Mr. Saner mentioned about the traffic related studies being implemented in many different areas, declaring the aim to adhere to raised standards in traffic and to reduce traffic accident related losses to minimum. Mr. Saner said that “In order to achieve this, we are analysing the statistical data and causality relations in detail and we deem such projects of great importance”. Whilst the fatality rate in developed countries is one over 100 thousand people, in the northern part of Cyprus, despite the high level of education, this rate is 3-4 times more. Mr. Saner mentioned this fact and said this was not acceptable.

Excess speed was referred as the cause for 60% of fatal accidents by Mr. Saner, and Road Safety Campaign being implemented by Piri Group was referred as deeply important considering 85% of all road accidents were caused by human related factors. He said “Training is the most appropriate intervention in this case.”

He further explained that improvement of road infrastructure for building 14180 kilometres double line together with a total of 13 subways and overpasses at 80 mio TL budget, will be initiated in 2011. Mr. Saner said improvement of standards will be a priority in their agenda in 2011 and continued with “We have a chapter named improvement of road satandards, containing “road classifications” in 2011 work programme which covers 141.8 km divided roads to be improved and regulations will be developed to adhere to the global traffic operation rules. So the tourists will not need to learn rules specific to this country”. For improvement of road infrastructure and safety, New Jersey barriers will be built to protect the cars go in to reverse lanes. For proper lightening of all roads, Mr. Saner said that they were about to come with a big project, and mentioned that the Led lightening system would be used for 60% energy saving.  This system will help to operate the lightening system for 12 months consuming same energy that the current lightening system consumes in 4 months. Mr. Saner mentioned that cost estimations and financial reports were about to be completed. Though the radar system used in roads helped a decrease in fatal accidents, Mr. Saner said that this only helped speed adjustment in radar areas, so they went a step further and planed to install average speed detection cameras in appropriate regions.

Mr. Saner mentioned the Traffic Safety Commission in which they cooperate together with the local authority in charge of internal affairs and local governments, as well as the project that are under implementation by this commission’s coordination. He mentioned the traffic lights that will be installed in Nicosia as the first step.

He reminded that the traffic education children will receive as a part of their basic education will help to reduce the traffic accidents to a minimum and Traffic Park is opened with this belief. Mr. Saner mentioned the objective to get all the students trained in this park starting from the elementary schools; and the park as one of the major steps to raise awareness.

“Improvement of respect to each other on roads is a priority for the local authority”, he said and continued with “via focused projects and plans we will ensure safe travelling for people on roads”.

Team Leader of the project Mr. Tamer Altunay, explained what has been done in the project until then, talked about how serious the country's traffic problem is and gave a presentation about the planned campaign activities.

Chairman of the Traffic Accidents Prevention Association, Dr. Mehmet Avcı said that, with the support of EU many projects had been initiated to make the roads safe in the northern part of Cyprus. He mentioned the sub-headings and some of the EU projects; traffic operations management, accident data collection and structuring, traffic operations and enforcement in municipal areas, driver licensing system and harmonisation with EU, load and human transportation and road safety education and campaigning. He added that the Traffic Park was opened only few weeks ago, and he believed that it would help the trainings.

Dr. Avcı said that with the harmonisation of traffic laws and education campaigns, drivers, kids and pedestrians would be travelling with a different perspective and education campaigns would help saving lives.

This project is funded by the European Union and implemented by Piri Group consortium.