900 More Victims Since the Cancellation of the Driving Licenses Immediate Retreat, Minister

The instruction of PM Ahmed Ouyahia in January 2011 to security services requiring them more tolerance in terms of imposing road traffic relating sanctions, including avoiding the retreat of driving licenses, has led to significant increase in the death toll of road accidents, which hit 900 additional victims in 2011, comparing to the 2010.

According to Minister of Transport, Amar Tou, traffic accidents doubled during the implementation of the tolerant instructions of the Prime Minister, forcing the government to cancel the instruction and back to the implementation of the road traffic code, in June. 

Mr Tou further explained that death toll of traffic accidents hit unprecedented level, by more than 900 victims in 2011, comparing to 2010. 

The Ministry of Transport is due to ban old busses from circulation, imminently, to contribute in curbing road accidents, the minister added.

He further added that there is no law that bans old cars from circulation, as the technical control of cars is the only procedures that should decide whether the car can circulate or not. 

Previously, Ministry of Transport revealed that until November, 3936 people were killed in road accidents, and 57 335 were injured, stressing that forecasts show that the figure to soar to 5000 dead as by the end of this year.

In 2010, Algeria ranked first in the Arab world and 4th worldwide by more than 4000 victims.