Jimma University’s Road Safety Advocacy project has organized a regional consultative meeting in Assossa City, Benshangul Gumuz Regional State on 14 August 2024.The meeting was meant to maximize understanding of the new road transport traffic control regulation among the regional decision makers and experts and initiate their concerted commitment for a harmonized action to ensure road safety in Ethiopia. The regulation was passed by the Council of Ministers in June 2024.
In his presentation, Dr Getachew Tilahun, Director of Jimma University Research Center for Road and Transport Safety, explained the necessity of addressing properly the five behavioral risk factors in a nation’s legal framework of the road transport system. If these key factors – drinking and driving, speeding, and none/improper use of motorcycle helmets, seat-belts and child restraints, and distracted driving – are properly incorporated in the regulation and enforced accordingly, road traffic crash caused losses of lives, physical and psychological injuries, and material damages being incurred at the global, countrywide and regional levels could significantly be minimized.
Chief Inspector Fikru Gizaw, a member of the project, road safety instructor at Ethiopian Police University presented the recently passed new road transport traffic control regulation. He emphasized the rationale for creating shared understanding on the regulation among regions and the improved penalty rates. As presented, the regulation needs to be implemented by the regions soon if the number of deaths from road traffic crashes is to be reduced substantially.
Discussions are held among the participants with a focus on the five risk factors. The participants stressed usefulness of the new regulation in their regional context and promised to provide the necessary support for successful implementation of the regulation. They also raised concerns related to drivers’ license acquisition, motorcycles regulation, some resource and advanced technology demanding provisions, among others.
Prior to the event, the road safety advocacy team from Jimma University conducted one-to-one meetings with the key regional decision makers introducing the regulation and its importance in improving road safety.
Participants in the meetings include Head of the regional cabinet, the Regional Council Speaker, Social and Economic Affairs Standing Committee Council members, Police Commissioners, Prosperity Party Head, Head and Deputy Head of the Transport Bureau, legal advisors, and respective higher experts from relevant sectors.
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