Premier highlights 'alarming' figures of road accidents
Morocco, Local, 9/9/2004

Moroccan prime minister, Driss Jettou, highlighted the alarming figures of road accidents involving public transport, and announced a package of measures to curb the phenomenon, which in 2003 alone, killed 3,878 people and seriously injured 35,000 others.

Speaking at a the opening of a meeting of the inter-ministerial council on road safety (CISR), the minister voiced concern over the increasing numbers of road accidents in Morocco, saying they have "even hit beyond borders," in an allusion to the coach accident that killed 11 of the 50 Moroccan passengers it was carrying from Brussels to Morocco last June.

Two months later, another serious accident, described as the worst, occurred near the town of Imintanout, on a mountainous road, when a commuter bus traveling from the tourist city of Agadir to Marrakech tried to overtake another vehicle and rammed into a heavy truck and then into the first vehicle, killing 29 and injuring 30, including 18 seriously.

Jettou said the sharp rise in these figures show the dire need to take urgent and efficient measures to stop the bleeding and improve public transport conditions.

He urged officials for more vigilance and intransigence in control operations and sanctions to punish irresponsible behavior of some drivers.

The meeting Monday of the CISR, under Jettou's chairmanship, made several decisions, including more rigorous periodic technical inspections of public transport vehicles, medical checkups for their drivers.

Concerning inter-urban taxis, a commission of the interior ministry, the equipment and transport ministry, police and county police will be charged of elaborating an action plan to upgrade the sector before end of November 2004.

Another commission of the same departments will draft, before end of September 2004, an action plan on the enhancement of public transport stations, and one for the upgrade of rural transport before end of 2004.

The permanent committee of road safety will issue monthly figures on road accidents and examine, before end of September 2004, the draft road code to be adopted before end of the year.

Concrete and speedy measures will be studied to enforce the driving license withdrawal in case of serious road offense and apply the breath alcohol test.

As for basic infrastructure, the council decided to launch, in coordination with the interior ministry regional safety measures such the adaptation of road signs.

Previous Stories:
  Moroccan aid for Senegal to fight locusts   (9/8/2004)
  Defense lawyers ask for the release of former Moroccan detainees in Guantanamo   (9/8/2004)
  Police arrest alleged serial killer of children in South-western Morocco   (9/8/2004)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search