Redrafting many articles of the new traffic law

The Minister of the Interior, Local Governments and Transport, Al-Saeed Saeed, confirmed the reformulation of many articles of the new traffic law. He said that the draft new traffic law, which was recently approved by the National Assembly, aims primarily to regulate public life and modernize the legal framework for the transport and communications sector, away from the approach of criminalization and strict penalties that were present in previous versions.

The minister explained, during a meeting with representatives of transport unions in Algeria on Tuesday, that many of the project’s articles had been redrafted, with terms related to criminalization or what could be interpreted as a criminal punishment deleted, in a way that ensures a balance between protecting the rights of citizens and organizing traffic efficiently. He pointed out that the council approved 179 articles of the project, while 11 articles were reserved for review, and an equal-member committee was created that discussed all the points of disagreement in a democratic and transparent manner before final ratification.

The minister added that the new law includes reviewing the value of violations in line with the purchasing power of citizens and the conditions of carriers, while strengthening awareness and training procedures to ensure effective and safe application of the new rules, stressing that the goal is to involve all actors in the transportation sector to ensure traffic safety, improve the quality of services provided to citizens, and reduce violations and risks on the roads.

Saoud also explained that the implementation of the law will be supported by providing the necessary capabilities of traffic control devices, and modernizing the regulatory structure of public and private transport, with a focus on educational and communication campaigns to ensure that drivers and travelers adhere to the new rules.

The Minister stressed that these measures make the law an effective tool for regulating daily life and not just a mechanism for punishment, which reflects a comprehensive vision of the Presidency of the Republic to develop the transportation sector and achieve a safer and more sustainable traffic environment in Algeria.

On the other hand, Saioud confirmed that the public authorities are continuing their efforts to regulate the tire and spare parts market and combat the chaos that this vital sector suffers from, in implementation of the instructions of the President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who assigned the Naftal Corporation to ensure the availability of wheels and avoid any scarcity in the national market.

During his meeting with the transport unions, the minister highlighted that the issue of renewing the transport facility will be the subject of in-depth discussion during upcoming meetings with sector professionals, indicating that the state will continue to accompany transporters to improve the conditions of their activity and ensure the provision of better service to citizens.

He explained that a large portion of the scheduled ten thousand buses had become available in various states of the country, while it was decided to remove buses that were more than thirty years old from service to enhance safety and quality of transportation.

Saeed also revealed the granting of new lines and the modification of some current networks, stressing the monitoring of the behavior of some drivers that affect the rights of passengers, and pointed out the necessity of discussing transportation pricing with social partners to achieve a balance between the interest of the citizen and the conditions of the carriers.

Regarding the transport of goods, the Minister indicated that some trucks exceeded the legal capacity, which necessitated amending the traffic law, as the second paragraph of the relevant article was deleted. He also indicated that the Ministry ratified 179 articles of the new traffic law, with reservations on 11 articles, and following up on the implementation of the road map agreed upon with the social partners.