Road Fund has sponsored procurement of 400 Reflective Jackets for the Lesotho Mounted Police Officers (LMPS); through the Road Safety Department. The Jackets were officially handed over to the beneficiaries, at a recent ceremony held at Police Headquarters in Maseru.
Speaking at the occasion, the Road Fund Revenue Collection Supervisor Ms. ‘Mankome Letsie explained that the Fund is not only interested in collecting revenue from the road traffic offences, but it is also interested in building solid working relations with its stakeholders, hence sponsorship of the jackets.
She said over the years that Road Fund has worked together with the Traffic Police Officers during Road Safety Campaigns, they have seen their plight, so it was easy for the Fund to respond positively to the Road Safety request.
The Road Safety Director Dr. Kinini Mathews indicated that Road Safety Department on its own would not succeed in creating awareness and educating Basotho about road safety issues throughout the country, so Traffic Police Officers remain critical in success of all initiatives by the department.
“For this reason, we included in our plans the reflective jackets and we submitted to Road Fund for sponsorship, we were glad when the Fund approved, that is why we are able to hand over these jackets today,” she reiterated.
She concluded by expressing hope that the jackets will assist the Officers to work comfortably in all weather conditions, saying that sometimes they work in harsh weather conditions due to the nature of their job.
The Police Commissioner Mr. Holomo Molibeli thanked Road Fund and Road Safety, explaining that the jackets came at an opportune time when winter is at its peak. “You see we usually are the first to arrive and the last to leave when we deal with traffic out there, so with the jackets, I am sure the Officers will excel even more in the job they are entrusted to do”.
He said they have decided to distribute the jackets to all districts of the country, so that more Traffic Officers will benefit from where they are based.
The reflective jackets have cost Road Fund a total of M485,000.00.