The Federal Transport Authority (FTA) announced that it is implementing a new regulation that tightens controlling mechanism which subsequently gives heavy punishment against vehicle drivers who commit repeated violations.
According to the regulation, drivers who are found violating rules or cause accidents will face six months to two years suspension from driving any type of vehicles.
The punishments also includes a lifetime ban from driving when the cases needs to be the ultimate measures for the maximum driving violations.
Sime Belay, director of the Authority’s Road and Traffic Safety Directorate, told The Reporter that the authority will soon start utilizing a central data system (a computerized device to record drivers’ track records and those who commit offense).
The central database will also record drivers who are registered in regional states. According to the authority, the database will be launched this week and is expected to curb the ever increasing number of car accidents that are primarily caused by drivers’ negligence and related offenses.
He said that if drivers repeatedly commit violations, they would be banned in accordance with the law that stipulates their respective level and type of violation and its corresponding level of punishment.
According to the 2012 regulation, which has not been enforced yet, a driver will face from six months of temporary suspension to lifetime suspension.
He, however, noted that the law was enforced for six years due to lack of a central data recording system. The new provision has six levels of violations types with corresponding punishments.
The new database connects some 600 woredas of all regional states and can record the data of each driver accused of diving malpractices and violation of driving rules and regulations.
Similarly, the Oromiya Regional State Transport Bureau on its part announced that it will prevent any vehicles from entering its territory unless they put speed control in their wheels.
