Number of road accidents drop by 7.8% in 2004
Morocco, Economics, 1/6/2005

The number of traffic accidents dropped by 7.8% in Jan-Sept.2004, compared to the same period of 2003, said transport and equipment minister, Karim Ghallab.

Talking at the weekly question-time of the Chamber of advisors (upper parliamentary chamber), the minister said the number of human casualties also regressed by 5.6% while the number of seriously injured persons decreased by 15.9%.

However, he noted, results do not match the size of efforts made all along the last years, stressing that the government has crafted an integrated strategy and an emergency plan covering coordination, legislation, control and repression of traffic law offences and drivers education and training.

He recalled in this context that a recent cross-ministerial meeting agreed on a package of measures, including stringent controls on drivers of collective transport vehicles and encouraging transport companies to hire permanent drivers.

Road accidents in Morocco claim an annual toll of over 3,800 persons, that is ten dead people everyday, in addition to 15,061 seriously injured victims and cost the state 11 billion MAD (US$ 1.2 billion), that is 2.5% of the GDP.

Previous Stories:
  Road accidents cause 11 bln dhs losses per year in Morocco   (4/8/2004)
  Over 3,000 casualties in road accidents in Morocco; severez drain on economy   (12/26/2003)
  Road accidents' damages estimated at 8 billion dh annually   (7/25/2001)

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