Executive Director of the Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority – SLRSA – Rev. Smart K. Senesie and delegation have represented Sierra Leone at the 11th General Assembly of the West Africa Road Safety Organization (WARSO), held in Conakry, Guinea, between 3rd to 6th July, 2024.
The theme for the conference is “Towards a mid-term review of the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety (2021-2030): Lead Agencies Appraisals.”
In a presentation on the Assessment of Agencies Performance on Road Safety and African Action Plan (2021-2030), Rev. Senesie specifically highlighted SLRSA achievements since its establishment in 1996 and transformation into the lead road safety agency in the country, in accordance with the five (5) pillars of the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety and African Action Plan.
Rev. Smart informed his colleagues in the sub-region and international road safety actors that SLRSA has decentralized vehicle and drivers licensing operations in all the regions across the country, thereby ensuring easier access and enhancing road safety. He told the august gathering that the Authority has operationalised the use of electronic inter-connectivity services across the country, making it easier for citizens to access all their products. 
He also showcased the improved vehicle testing centre of excellence introduced by Autospect, through a public private partnership, whereby vehicles are tested for fitness and roadworthiness before being issued licenses to ply the country’s roads. He added that there had been major improvement on road traffic education and popularization of road safety education in partnership with community radio stations across the country and stakeholders.
Speaking on challenges being faced as an agency, the Executive Director lamented inadequate funds and capacity gaps to fully implement road standards and procedures.
He also hinted limited equipment to facilitate road safety, paucity of data acquisition and management, and road hazards as part of the challenges to safer roads and safer road users in Sierra Leone.
However, the road safety chief executive assured that he and his team are poised to improve on road safety, while applauding support from government, not least the intervention of the First Lady as a Road Safety ambassador, which led to a recent visit to Sierra Leone by the UN Special Envoy on Road Safety, Jean Todt in June.
Meanwhile, along the side-line of the meeting and in a bid to forge collaboration and partnership with other Road Safety Agencies in the sub-region, the Executive Director had a round table discussion with the Corps Marshal of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Mr. Shehu Mohamed and his delegation to reactivate the strong bilateral relationship between the two sister road safety agencies. The two agencies agreed to rekindle technical cooperation, with the Nigerians promising to support their Sierra Leonean counterparts in training and capacity support.
The conference brought together fifteen countries in the ECOWAS and Morocco, with the later sharing information on the African position towards the 4th Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety in Marrakech next February.
Credit: SLRSA Outreach and Communication Unit
