• Fri. Mar 29th, 2024

Visit by the Burundian Ombudsman to the Bureau of the road safety police

ByWebmaster

May 30, 2023

BUJUMBURA May 30th (ABP) – The Burundian ombudsman, Mrs. Aimée Laurentine Kanyana, paid a visit on Thursday, May 25, 2023 to the Bureau of the special traffic police (PSR).

In her speech, Mrs. Kanyana indicated that this visit was organized to familiarize the police officers in charge of traffic with the tasks of the office of the ombudsman and to exchange ideas on the tasks of the special traffic police and the concerns of the office of the ombudsman with regard to road safety.

During her visit, Mrs. Kanyana noted that there are many vehicles of all kinds parked at the PSR and which are in a deplorable state, which has a negative effect on the country’s economy. She recommended finding solutions to that situation. The other problem raised was that related to the revenues collected during the offenses committed against the Highway Code. Here, the ombudsman noted that the way in which the revenues are collected leaves something to be desired compared to the path of all the receipts in the coffers of State. She wanted that sector to be reviewed for the good of the country’s economy.

As for the director of the department of injustice and violations of human rights in the office of the ombudsman, Mr. Elie Bigirimana, the reason which led them to take an interest in that sector is that the people who die as a result of road accidents and others who become disabled are numerous, while the right to life and to physical integrity is primordial.

He also pointed out that this sector presents other problems such as the road traffic law which, according to him, has a content that is not clear and written in a language that many car drivers do not understand; driving licenses which are granted to people who have not received any driving training and who do not even know the highway code; corruption in the road; problems related to technical control and other problems that may hinder the development of that sector.

Taking the floor, the commander of the special traffic police, Mr. Eugène Bigirindavyi, affirmed that corruption in the roads is a reality. To deal with it, he reassured that software will soon be put in place to avoid every possible contact between the police officers and the drivers.

Regarding the vehicles parked at the PSR, Mr. Bigirindavyi said that those cars are seized by the prosecution and that the special traffic police only park them. To decide the fate of those cars, it will take a discussion between experts in the traffic police and those of justice, he specified.

Note that another meeting will be organized, where all the actors in the field of road safety will be invited, namely insurers; traffic police and justice.