The governor of the Thiès region, Saer Ndao, stressed on Thursday the importance of a collective commitment to guarantee safety on the roads of the Marian pilgrimage to Popenguine, scheduled from May 23 to 25.

"The period will be marked by high tension, with many movements, and we are calling on the population to be more committed to the responsibilities they must take on the road," said Saer Ndao.

He was presiding over a meeting of the regional development committee (CRD) in the Thiès governance premises, dedicated to the Marian pilgrimage of Popenguine, in the department of Mbour (west).

He recommended that pilgrims take the necessary precautions, given the numerous demands on the roads during this period, in order to achieve the goal of "zero accidents".

The governor urged motorists and pilgrims to respect road safety standards and to give "absolute priority to ambulances".

For Mr. Ndao, it is through mutual respect and respect for laws and regulations that certain difficulties can be resolved.

He announces that he will ask the gendarmerie to be "very rigorous" with regard to compliance with security standards, to allow the faithful to "go and do their devotion and return home safe and sound, without major difficulty".

Saer Ndao believes that mutual respect and adherence to safety standards are the essential condition for achieving "zero accidents" during large crowd movements, even though Senegalese people usually give little credence to this notion.

The president of the organizing committee for the Marian pilgrimage of Popenguine, Abbé Augustin Sébastien Mamadou Diouf, for his part, offered prayers for the smooth running of this annual religious gathering.