23/02/2018

Agreement for Child Safe Mobility in Canelones

The event was held at the Daniel Muñoz conference room at the Palacio Municipal; among the attendees there were, Yamandú Orsi, Canelones Mayor, the General Pro-Secretary, Mrs. Gabriela Garrido, Canelones Pro-Secretary, Mr. Francisco Legnani, the President of Fundación Gonzalo Rodríguez, María Fernanda Rodríguez Bongoll, the National Road Safety Agency (UNASEV) Director, Alejandro Draper, the Traffic and Transport General Director, Marcelo Metediera, the Traffic and Road Safety Director, Mr. Omar Rodríguez, and traffic officers and other Canelones government officials.

Mr. Omar Rodríguez, Traffic and Road Safety Director considered the agreement to be “a very important step”; regarding Canelones work together with the Fundación, he stated: “This has allowed us to work on Child Restraint Systems, and also to exchange policy designs available to us thanks to their international experience.”

The Fundación Gonzalo Rodríguez President highlighted the importance of this agreement and the commitment by Canelones Government to road safety. “As an NGO, this is a very important day for us. Although we have been working together for quite a long time, this agreement formalizes the commitment to safe child mobility that involves the road most vulnerable users, the children.”

The fact that all areas of the provinces able to generate advocacy were present at the signing was hightlighted by María Fernanda Rodríguez as "a very good signal”; she was grateful for the commitment shown: “from traffic officers on the front line, to the Mayor that takes responsibility.”

At the closure of the conference, the Mayor highlighted the Fundación´s work in society, “because they create a different kind of attitude, one that is different from the one we can achieve”, and about the government he said, “They push us, they insist on compliance, and I think that´s the right thing to do. Because by being stubborn, they keep our eyes always wide open."

After the conference, the Fundación´s Research Coordinator Florencia Lambrosquini, shared, in an internal meeting, data on the mobility and infrastructure studies conducted in school surroundings in Montevideo and Canelones. Results of these studies are part of the “Safe Latin American Children in Traffic” carried out by the Fundación with the support of the FIA Founation and will be presented on March 15 together with all provincial and national officials involved in the matter.