Founder of Hear the Children’s Cry, Betty-Ann Blaine is making an urgent call for Prime Minister Andrew Holness to address the issue surrounding students being transported to school on bikes.
According to her, the physical damages being experienced by school children have become so commonplace, that the Principal of Little London High School in Savanna-la-mar has banned his students from riding bike taxis to and from the town square to the school. He says the school has introduced a shuttle bus system to fill the gap with reported success.
However, she has received reports of bikes being used as transportation in other parishes. She says in some instances the children have been injured. She recalled a student who is now crippled following a bike accident.
Blaine’s comments follow the most recent road safety statistic from the National Road Safety Unit. As of Friday, October 25, 2019, 346 persons have been killed in several road incidents. Of that number, 64 percent were motorcyclists, pedal cyclists, pedestrians, and bike passengers.
Blaine believes that the Prime Minister as the National Road Safety Council must create some initiative where licensed route taxis can act as vehicles to transport children.
She believes that the lives of children are at risk when they use bikes that might not be licensed.
KHADIJAH THOMAS
