Union Savings and Loans Company limited has donated two crossing stands to the St Kizito Primary School in Nima, Accra to mark International Children’s Day.

The lollipop stands will assist school children in crossing the road and reduce significantly the number of road accidents in the community.

At a ceremony to make the presentation, Managing Director of the company, Phillip Oti-Mensah said “children are entitled to special care and assistance and as we celebrate the International Children’s Day which also coincides with the Road Safety awareness week of the National road Safety Commission (NRSC), there is no better time to make our contribution”.

He said the company will be unable to achieve its long term vision if it does not contribute to ensuring that people are healthy, educated and well protected.

“We believe that our business can achieve long term survival and success only if society develops in good physical and mental health, with empowerment to do more”.

With the belief that growing communities and creating long term value is a shared responsibility of corporate Ghana, government and the larger society, Mr Oti-Mensah said the donation of the over 25 pairs of crossing stands to the NRSC for destribution across the country will ensure that road fatalities which involves children as pedestrians are reduced drastically and “we believe that that it would augment the efforts of the NRSC in enhancing Child Safety profile in the country”.

He entreated the NRSC to put in place speed management and traffic calming measures, such as speed rumps and other physical self-enforcing measures to reduce the risk of traffic related injuries and deaths for children.

He advised school authorities to maintain the crossing stands well not only for today but for future children and future use.

Executive Director of the National Road Safety Commission, May Obiri-Yeboah said the need to protect children and ensure that their every need is met cannot be overemphasized and that Ghana and the world as a whole must come together to promote issues on child care and safety.

She congratulated Unions Savings and Loans for the donation and their concern towards the development of children in the country.

Mrs Obiri-Yeboah tasked that school and its Parents and Teachers Association (PTA) to select a volunteer to help the children use the crossing stands safely.

Director of the NRSC David Osafo Adonten said his outfit in collaboration with other road safety agencies will undertake a training programme for the drivers who ply roads where crossing stands have been provided.

He said drivers must know that pointing out the crossing flag in the road is enough to demonstrate an intention of the pedestrian to cross the road and they must therefore stop for them.

Mr Osafo Adonten thanked Union Savings and Loans for their contribution and encouraged them to keep continue in their quest to see to the safety of the child in all communities they operate.