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24 June, 2007
The Addis Ababa Police Commission Traffic Control and Inspection Department said that it would start to purge car decorations, seregent Daniel Tadesse, Public Relations Expert at the Commission told Capital.
According to the expert, the reason for removing the decorations is that they are, hiding views to the driver himself, the travelers and mainly by reflecting on the other driver it increases the probability of accidents.
These decorations include different items, flags, and celebrities pictures.
“Following our prior education and instruction through the media, we will start our operation as of 22 June, 2007 in different parts of the capital. Those who are found with decorations in their cars will be fined up to 80 birr”
The City’s Police Commission Traffic Control and Inspection Department is also scheduled to take other consequent measures on its current scheme of reducing car accidents and reaching a millennium of lesser car accidents.
In our next move, we will fine cars that emit high smoke, have damaged, or partially harmed plates and tinted mirrors, he said.
“If the company tinted the mirrors originally, it is free from the measures but if it is locally tinted then we will directly remove them.”
The Commission is moving with a five years plan of reducing the current traffic accident tool by 50 percent.
In a related development, in a sudden checks and inspections being conducted by the Commission, on one day, June 12, 2007 alone 910 were found with violation of traffic laws, 216 driving without license and 10 with different related cases were held and were fined. Of all, violations of traffic laws are largely to blame for the accidents.
A taxi driver who wanted to remain anonymous said that he had been penalized in several instances and he believed that the sudden searches are being done to just collect money. Even if there were cars, which originally did not have the cars parts were reprimanded.
“These measures are not aimed at generating income but controlling the accidents that could occur with the negligence or illegality of the drivers.” seregent Daniel explained.
Traffic accidents in Ethiopia are among the highest in the world by far exceeding the rates in Kenya, Tanzania, and Zambia.
Around 2,000 people die of car accidents in Ethiopia every year while thousands of others sustain injuries Ethiopia loses up to 1% GDP every year to traffic accidents and some 42 percent of road accidents occur in Addis Ababa.
By Tedla Desta - Capital