NRSC celebrates 20 years

The National Road Safety Council (NRSC) is to host a private visit of His Royal Highness Prince (HRH) Michael of Kent, royal patron for the Commission for Global Road Safety and patron of the non-profit organisation, Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) in April. The working visit is part of the NRSC's 20th anniversary celebrations.

Dr Lucien Jones, vice-chairman/convenor of the NRSC, announced the Prince's visit during Thursday afternoon's launch of celebrations, held at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel. "His Royal Highness is a road-safety advocate of international repute and, therefore, we are very delighted and quite privileged to have him accept our invitation to share in this time of celebration with the council," Jones said.

Public officials meeting

HRH Prince Michael will meet with prime minister and NRSC chairman Portia Simpson Miller, Opposition Leader Andrew Holness and government officials whose portfolio responsibility involves road safety. "His Royal Highness will be taken on tours of facilities which promote road safety in the island, visit the Sir John Golding Rehabilitation Centre in Mona, and attend a banquet where former prime ministers will be honoured. Also, a posthumous award will be conferred on the founder of the council, Sir John Golding," Jones said. The awards banquet will take place on Wednesday, April 17.

Jones expects the visit by His Royal Highness to strengthen the bonds of friendship and deepen the relationships which the NRSC has forged with the international community, in this the Decade of Action For Road Safety.

CHURCH SERVICE

The week of celebratory activities begins with a church service on April 14 at the St Andrew Parish Church, where the lord bishop of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands will preside. His Excellency Governor General Sir Patrick Allen, Prime Minister Simpson Miller and several officials, and members of the NRSC and their partner organisations will be in attendance.

The NRSC unveiled its 20th anniversary and Below 240 logos at the launch. The latter is a symbolic representation of the renewed initiative to encourage the reduction of road deaths in Jamaica to fewer than 240 per year.

Also introduced to the public for the first time were the new NRSC multi-media initiatives - the NRSC 20th anniversary jingle and public education road-safety infomercials.

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Olympic gold medallist, who is the NRSC ambassador/spokesperson for its 20th anniversary year, is featured in the infomercials. Grub Cooper composed the jingle and the campaign was produced by PROComm Limited.

Dr Earl Jarrett,chairman, Jamaica Automobile Association said "every person lost on the nation's roads represents an economic loss, and therefore our road-safety programme is as important as an IMF agreement". He contended that crashes will directly and indirectly stymie the country's economic growth and development.

Jarrett underscored the importance of all citizens paying attention to the efforts to reduce road crashes, especially since road crashes are the second-leading cause of deaths in Jamaica, next to homicides.