Cear targets schools in rail safety education
Central East African Railways (Cear) is targeting to reach pupils from 21 primary schools in the Central Region in its rail safety programme aimed at reducing rail fatalities among school children.
Cear Publicist, Chisomo Mwamadi, has confirmed the development. According to Mwamadi, the schools targeted in the programme are from Salima, Mchinji and Lilongwe districts.
“The safety of people around our rail network is our priority because the machines that we run are very heavy and therefore, risky if people lack proper information on how to conduct themselves around rail lines.
“We are running safety campaigns in primary schools to influence long-term safety behaviour,” he said.
Mwamadi said in 2015, Cear identified Kamwendo Primary School in Mchinji as a safety model to promote best practices and rail safety education.
“We are excited that the school now has a vibrant rail safety club which we are supporting with campaign materials and also capacity building,” he said.
Mwamadi said Cear is now expanding the initiative to other schools in the Central Region before taking it further to schools along the rail line in the Southern Region.
Early last month, a six-year old boy in Mchinji has his legs amputated after a train hit him. Reports indicate the boy was trying to hitch a ride when he fell on the rail line where the train crashed his legs.
