Road safety programme launches in Gümülcine across Eastern Macedonia and Thrace
Eastern Macedonia and Thrace has launched a month-long road safety programme aimed at educating schoolchildren across the region, with the first activities taking place in Gümülcine (Komotini), Rhodope (Rodopi).
Regional Governor Christodoulos Topsidis attended the opening activities on Monday, October 5, at the regional Transport and Communications Services facility in Gümülcine, where he observed the programme and spoke with students and teachers.
The initiative, organised by the Eastern Macedonia and Thrace Regional Authority, will run throughout October across all regional units.
FOCUS ON ROAD SAFETY EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN
The programme initially targets fourth-, fifth- and sixth-grade primary school students, combining classroom information with practical and experiential training.
Through simulations, practical exercises and road-safety activities, students are being taught how to travel safely as pedestrians, cyclists and passengers, while also learning to identify and avoid potential risks in their everyday journeys.
Topsidis said road safety should not be treated as a one-month campaign but as a long-term priority for the regional authority.
“Prevention and proper behaviour on the road start at a young age,” Topsidis said, pointing to the regional authority’s decision in 2024 to designate the year as a Year of Road Safety.
MORE THAN 10,000 STUDENTS EXPECTED TO TAKE PART
According to Topsidis, more than 10,000 students across the region will have the opportunity to participate in theoretical and practical road-safety activities during the programme.
The activities include first-aid training, simulations and instruction on responding to emergency situations, alongside broader road-safety education.
Following the opening in Rhodope, activities are scheduled to continue this week in Drama, İskeçe (Xanthi) and Orestiada. Further events will subsequently take place in Dedeağaç (Alexandroupoli), Feres, Soufli and Kavala.
The programme is part of the regional authority’s wider effort to promote road-safety awareness and responsible behaviour among younger generations across Eastern Macedonia and Thrace.
