Echorouk’s Forum sheds light on « road terrorism » with its awesome number of fatalities in Algeria

Echorouk’s Forum, held on Wednesday at the newspaper’s premises in upper Algiers, dealt essentially with road safety and ways of curbing the increasing number of casualties resulting from the numerous accidents which occur daily on Algeria’s roads and highways.

• The publisher of the newspaper “Echorouk Al Yaoumi” said first and foremost that this burning issue was a priority given the awesome death toll recorded over the past few years on our roads.
• He said that the number of road victims was higher by far than that of terrorism and suicide – bombings, stressing that this kind of carnage should be halted.
• The Forum was held in the presence of the Director of National Centre of road safety Boutalbi El Hachemi, chief Brigadier Aissa Naili, representing the National Police services, Lieutenant – Colonel Ali Bellouti, representing the National Gendarmerie, Mr. Idar representing the Transporters’s Union and Mr. El Hadj Idriss as a representative of the National driving schools’  trade Union.
• Among other figures unveiled during the free – wheeling debate among the participants, we note that 1968 people have been killed in road accidents since the beginning of the year 2008.
• It should also be noted that the number of road accidents dwindled a little but the casualty figures are higher during that period.
• According to Mr. Boutalbi, “road terrorism” is on the increase, 18.775 road accidents were recorded during the first semester of 2008 with 29.200 people sustaining injuries and 1.968 others passing away.

• Retired Police Officer Mohamed Lazouni : “Public transport in Algeria has turned into mass public killing”
•  Mohamed Lazouni, who is at the head of a road safety association, expressed the urgent need for the relevant authorities to gauge beforehand the academic and psychological level of those vying for a driving licence especially destined to public transport.
• El Hachemi Boutalbi :
•  “We are intent on setting up a National Centre for the monitoring of the viability of driving licences in Rouiba in the near future”.
• Lieutenant – Colonel Ali Bellouti :
• “The current legislation regards the pedestrian as a victim even if he is faulty”.
• Representative of driving Schools’ National Trade Union:
• “We are opposed to raising the age of the candidates seeking to get their driving licence”.
• Chief brigadier Naili Aissa, representing the National Police Services:
• “A new supervisory body should be set up to pinpoint the responsibilities in the non – implementation of the laws related to road prevention and safety as well as the toughening of the current regulations in a bid to stem the horrible “slaughter” caused by road accidents”.