Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-07-09

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Road Safety Award for Athens

[01] Road Safety Award for Athens

In May the Panos Mylonas Road Safety Institute submitted four files comprising 72 reports on danger spots identified throughout Greece to the City of Athens and other municipalities, as part of the organisation�s Pin Project. Mayor Kaklamanis was the first Mayor who responded and relayed orders to the municipality�s competent departments and the City of Athens Everyday Issue Management Organisation (OAKP) to take the necessary action, according to the Institute.

More specifically, since May, the City of Athens has carried out the following activities, rectifying 74 percent of the problems that were detected: rectified problems at 31 sites; scheduled repairs at another 22 sites; notified the Ministry of Environment, Town Planning and Public Works of 13 problematic sites which fall under its jurisdiction; and notified the Athens Water Supply and Sewerage Company (EYDAP) of two problematic sites which fall under its jurisdiction.

Receiving the inaugural Road Safety Award from representatives of the Institute, Kaklamanis stressed that, for the Athens municipal authorities, ?road safety is an issue of the utmost importance".

"Within this framework, through the municipality�s Road Safety Organisation, the City of Athens aims to improve road safety and driver education for the citizens of Athens, as well as provide assistance to individuals who, due to an accident, do not have access to equal opportunities in the city�s economic and social life," he added.

More specifically, the Road Safety Organisation, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, promotes driver education classes at City of Athens primary schools. It supports the municipality�s efforts to remove abandoned vehicles, studies traffic conditions in the vicinity of City of Athens schools and proposes measures to ensure the safe movement of students, the Mayor continued.

At the same time, for the first time in the municipality�s history, it has begun road safety lessons for children staying at the City of Athens campsite in Agios Andreas over the summer, while the Organisation for Everyday Problems (OAKP) attends to the immediate repair of damaged road infrastructure and, above all, it reprimands those who do not respect the roads and pavements, he added.

"Thus, within this framework, it is particularly pleasing that we can rely on supporters in our efforts. One of our most worthy partners is the Panos Mylonas Road Safety Institute, which was created as a result of the harsh reality of deficient education and infrastructure," Kaklamanis said.

The Mayor further said that the award does not pay tribute to one person, but rather "to an institution, to all those people who are assisting in the gradual improvement of the situation".

"I consider it a major mistake for someone to accept an award simply because they are carrying out their duties as best as they can. Besides, this is why you are selected by the people. However, I am accepting this award - the first to date - because it does not belong to me. It belongs to all of the City of Athens volunteers, all of those people who are working hard on a daily basis to convey the message that the city is not a racetrack but a place where we must all respect our shared rights and obligations. Let�s not forget, therefore, that collectivism is the answer to most of the problems we face,? Kaklamanis concluded.

Presenting the award, Panos Mylonas Road Safety Institute chairman Vassiliki Mylona noted: ?It is a great pleasure for us to present this award to you - the first Mayor to receive it - for your response to the Pin Project. This programme was immediately embraced not only by the institute but by volunteers throughout Greece. A total of 1,100 volunteers in 140 municipalities, most of them in the City of Athens, have already become involved."

This award is symbolic. It belongs to you, your associates and all citizens who wish to live in a better city,? she added.

City of Athens Road Safety Organisation chairman Vassia Trifylli, addressing Institute chairman Mylona, said: ?We should actually be presenting an award to you in recognition of the fact that a woman who lost her child managed to turn her grief into a road safety initiative. Together with the director of the City of Athens Road Safety Organisation, Yiannis Angelopoulos, we pledge to work together in order to reduce road fatalities."

"The municipality�s Road Safety Organisation has initiated a programme to educate children so that road safety becomes second nature,? she added.

At the conclusion of the event, the coordinator of the municipal volunteer network handed OAKP director Panos Efstathiou a new report containing an additional 32 danger spots.

Caption: Athens Mayor Nikitas Kaklamanis (L) recieves Road Safety Award from Panos Mylonas Road Safety Institute chairman Vassiliki Mylona (R). (ANA-MPA)

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