The national gendarmerie is organising a five-day road safety campaign along major highways in the country. The campaign which is in its 12th phase has as objective to ensure road safety especially during the back-to-school period. In this light, the Secretary of State for Defence in charge of the National Gendarmerie, Jean Baptiste Bokam was on the Yaounde-Ayos highway on Saturday September 1, to sensitise road users on the need to respect road safety rules and regulations. The different control teams made of gendarmes are on the field to check offences and apply sanctions where necessary.

The offences include, over speeding, lack of CEMAC car registration number plates, car documents, driving licences, First Aid box, over used tyres, among others. According to the figures from the national gendarmerie a total of 412 offences were recorded in three days along the Ayos-Yaounde highway. The major offences registered along the highway are non wearing of seat belts, the use of worn-out tyres, First Aid box and lack of fire extinguishers. Defaulters were made to pay fines on the spot. The fines ranged from FCFA 2,400 to FCFA 25,000. In three days the Yaounde-Ayos stretch fetched the government the sum of FCFA 27 million. The defaulters were detected by the use of equipment donated to the Cameroon government by its development partner, the European Union.

Speaking to journalists, Jean Baptiste Bokam used the occasion to call on Cameroonians to respect road safety rules and regulations. He said the road safety campaign will be permanent to ensure the safety of Cameroonians. It was however revealed that indiscipline and delinquency are some of the aspects that hinder the campaign proceedings.

Meanwhile, the Secretary of State for Defence in charge of the National Gendarmerie paid a similar visit to the Yaounde-Pouma highway yesterday September 2.