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Al-Ahram Weekly 18 - 24 May 2000 Issue No. 482 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 18 - 24 May 2000 Issue No. 482
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Sedative or cure?
A new traffic law, imposing harsher penalties on offenders, has inspired public ire. Will the law help regulate traffic? For now, Gihan Shahine discovers, gridlock is still just a block away
What do you know about the new traffic law? Until very recently, few people even knew it existed. The law was issued last January, and came into effect on 1 March. No change or improvement was felt on Egypt's streets, however. Then again, maybe this was because the media itself paid so little attention to the news.
Now, however -- specifically, since last month -- things have changed. Not that the traffic has been flowing any more smoothly; but the air has been thick with anger about the harsher penalties imposed by the new law. High fines are the topic of the day, especially among taxi and microbus drivers. The media has suddenly evinced great interest in the subject, and is having a field day reporting on drivers' complaints and tracking down loopholes in the new law.
Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Focus Features Heritage Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters The traffic campaign is hard to ignore: police officers are everywhere, conducting surprise checks on licences and imposing penalties. But, despite the Interior Ministry's all-out war on traffic offenders, very few motorists and pedestrians have noticed an improvement in the traffic flow or motorists' conduct. Vehicles, bumper-to-bumper, still battle for space with pedestrians, traffic gridlock persists with peak hours seemingly round-the-clock, motorists are as boisterous as ever and accidents are as frequent as they have ever been. But why?
Perhaps harsher penalties are not the solution to traffic problems. The law may help discipline motorists, but many wonder: will it be enforced with no exceptions? Are people sufficiently acquainted with traffic regulations? And are Egypt's roadways planned and equipped in a way that will allow motorists to obey the law?
Whatever the answers, many motorists as well as taxi and microbus drivers are already disenchanted. According to published official figures, two million fines, each of which can reach LE500 -- have already been collected since the law came into effect. Over 34,741 fines have been imposed on microbuses, 15,000 unlicenced vehicles were penalised, and 26,000 illegally parked vehicles were immobilised by the infamous "scorpion" -- the iron lock traffic authorities place on one of the car's wheels. Meanwhile, over 3,947 vehicles had their licences withdrawn for having obliterated number plates, 42,888 were towed away for illegal parking, and 168,000 taxis were fined for not operating the fare metre.
It seems only normal, then, that many drivers did not react well to the law. On 2 March, following the issuance of the law's executive statute, microbus drivers nationwide rallied in protest. The next day, microbus drivers went on strike in Giza after allegedly being forced to pay fines of LE50 to LE200. In Alexandria, taxi drivers went on strike, wreaking traffic chaos. Ten were taken to court, while three were jailed. Lorry drivers have also been up in arms: they have filed complaints against the law and demanded a revision of articles 86 and 181, which set a 10-year expiry date on all lorries (70 per cent of lorries are already past this time limit), as well as cargo weight and size.
"The new law is designed to punish only the poorer strata of society," says one taxi driver who works in Heliopolis. "All my colleagues are planning to sell their taxis and change careers," he proceeds, his voice growing strained. "The fines are unaffordable for people like us, living from hand to mouth. We all have instalments to pay on repairs. Many drivers buy their taxis in instalments and we all have families and children in schools who need loads of money every month. How can we afford thousands of pounds in fines? How can we feed our children if we have our licences suspended for a whole month? This means we have to steal to eat."
But why violate the law in the first place? "We are ready to abide by it, but how can we guarantee that traffic policemen are fair?" exclaims another taxi driver. This is the argument of many motorists. Recently, the Arabic press reported several instances of unfair treatment by the police. "I have renewed my licence and repaired the car. I never break traffic laws or speed, even if the passenger is in a hurry. But there are other cases when a traffic policeman argues with a driver and imposes fines as revenge," the driver protests.
"The law will not discipline motorists because many are still left unpunished: after all, a traffic policeman wouldn't dare fine vehicles affiliated to police or governmental bodies, or even fancy cars that could belong to important figures," says one motorist with a sigh.
In fact, many experts agree the new law is not likely to work if not enforced across the board. Officials have stated repeatedly that there will be no discrimination. At a recent news conference, Interior Minister Habib El-Adli announced that "the law can only bear fruit if it is applied to everybody, with no exceptions or personal considerations, in order to confront those who threaten lives and endanger private and public property."
To translate words into action, a disciplinary department was established to monitor all offences committed by drivers of police vehicles and submit a periodical report to the General Traffic Authority (GTA), which will impose penalties on offenders. Officials also insist there will be no laxity when it comes to vehicles affiliated to official bodies and diplomatic corps.
Still, many would argue that, despite official efforts, the problem is the traffic policemen, who are severely underpaid, and cannot be expected to resist bribes. Witnesses told Al-Ahram Weekly they have already seen microbus drivers paying LE20 to traffic policemen to evade penalties.
Officials, however, insist that policemen caught taking bribes will be interrogated and discharged if found guilty. The withdrawal of licences, furthermore, will be the responsibility of high-ranking officers and heads of police stations.
To avoid a penalty, however, people should be properly acquainted with the law. Many motorists complain they are getting fines "without knowing why." In fact, many of those interviewed by the Weekly showed little comprehension of the new law. People know bits and pieces -- but even informal discussions focus on fines and the new clauses concerning seat belts, motorcycle helmets and mobile phones.
Many people are confused, for example, as to whether they should fasten their seat belts now or starting next year (a one-year grace period was granted so that owners of old vehicles would have time to install seat belts). Others think the law "focuses on trivial matters," because failing to wear a seat belt is now a punishable offence.
"A seat belt is essential on the highway," argues one motorist. "But there is no need for it in crowded city centres. The seat belt makes one feel fettered, especially in summer, and people will stop concentrating on their driving."
Owners of cars without seat belts may have more reason to be antagonistic. The grace period has offered many salesmen of vehicle accessories a great opportunity to raise the prices of seat belts and helmets -- the latter jumping from LE70 to LE220, and from LE6 to LE35 for the plastic alternatives. Seat belt prices have already exceeded LE100, but you can find mock seat belts for a mere LE20 on street markets. Meanwhile, mobile headsets are selling almost as soon as they hit the shops.
Abeer Ahmed is also having a hard time finding an affordable car seat for her baby. "Prices have risen since the implementation of the law," Ahmed complains. "But again, it is implemented blindly." Ahmed was in the car with her husband and was holding her one-year old daughter on her lap in the front passenger seat. They were stopped by a policeman, "and I tried to convince him that I was holding my daughter tightly, but to no avail. He told me to sit with her in the back seat. This makes no sense. Besides, it's humiliating to have my husband driving while I'm sitting back there."
But these very regulations are designed primarily for the safety of those they aggravate so much. There is no denying that the new traffic law, at least in principle, has been designed to reduce accidents.
This is only logical, considering such alarming statistics as these: In 1998 alone, more than 23,000 accidents took place on Egypt's roads, claiming the lives of 5,000 people and injuring 22,000. General estimates show that motor accidents claim the lives of 5,000 people annually, not to mention injuries and financial losses -- around LE1 billion, according to the GTA, including damaged vehicles, health care, hospital residency and lost working hours.
Experts believe fastening seat belts may reduce 70 per cent of accident mortality rates. Wearing a helmet will do the same in the case of motorcycle accidents. And this, traffic officials maintain, applies to city centres as much as it does to highways if an accident occurs. Placing children under five years of age in the back seat and imposing fines on parents who violate the rules is also crucial for children's safety, according to official statements.
TRAFFIC TRAUMA: Pedestrians and vehicles battle for space on narrow streets, but are multi-storey car parks and draconian legislation the solution to the bedlam? Sufficient knowledge of the law among motorists and enforcers alike, as well as enforcement across the board, are crucial
photos: Khaled El-Fiqi & Salah Ibrahim
But who should inform the public about the benefits of the new law? "The media is going about it the wrong way," maintains Safwat El-Alem, a researcher on traffic problems and professor at the Faculty of Mass Communications at Cairo University. "Newspaper articles and TV programmes should focus on each item separately to educate people rather than confuse them, as they do now, by dealing with eight or more points together. The Ministry of Interior should have published a small booklet of regulations, signs, and penalties even before the law was enforced."
Many experts believe the new law cannot be effective in the absence of public awareness. "The law imposes high fines on violators. But how can policemen spot every violation?" El-Alem exclaims. "How can we punish people without educating them or providing them with suitable roads and parking areas?"
Many experts agree that drivers know nothing about traffic laws and penalties and that driving mistakes are passed on from one generation to the other. Until very recently, licence applicants were barely examined on traffic laws and regulations before being granted licences, which explains why most people are not driving properly.
With the new law, however, the Interior Ministry says it has developed a strict driving test in which the driver is examined on all traffic rules. According to official statements, fewer than 25 per cent of applicants have passed since the new system was set up. Those who fail the first time cannot try again before three months have passed. If they fail a second time, they must wait a year before trying again. But does this apply to everyone? Unlikely, many think.
El-Alem would rather put it this way: "Teach people road and driving ethics, examine them on traffic laws in driving tests, equip roads with traffic signs and parking areas, and then punish the offenders. Jumping to step four without passing through the first three is unfair and will not solve the problem."
Many experts agree that imposing harsher penalties is never the answer to traffic problems. "It will only frustrate people, especially microbus drivers and limited-income motorists," maintains El-Alem. Psychiatrist Dr Youssri Abdel-Mohsen concurs: "Penalties can only discipline those who cannot afford them. Those who can will go on violating in defiance of all penalties. After all, traffic misconduct is a manifestation of selfishness and lack of patriotic sentiment. Punishment, however, can be helpful if applied in parallel with public education, especially in schools."
Interior Ministry officials have recently become more aware of the importance of educating children in this respect. The ministry has launched a traffic education programme in a number of schools in Cairo, and has awarded the school that applied it most successfully.
Educating children today will produce better motorists tomorrow. But for now, urban planners insist, the traffic law is not making any headway in the absence of a master plan addressing all the factors involved in the traffic crisis.
Urban planner Sherif Kamel explains the need to study road networks, the number of trips made and routes followed by motorists and public transport commuters, and the number of car parks needed. "We also need road maintenance and an efficient public transport system. We have to open garages that are closed, and landlords should be prohibited from exceeding building height limits," Kamel adds.
A recent study shows that 25 million trips are made inside Greater Cairo every day, 50 per cent by private cars. The same study shows that 50 persons will occupy an area of 250 square metres if they use private cars, while the same number will not occupy more than 10 square metres of the road if they use public buses.
"The law may discipline motorists and solve part of the problem, but is definitely not the only solution. It will only remedy minor traffic ailments," Kamel concludes.
Traffic officials concede the law alone cannot solve the problem. El-Adli himself was quoted on several occasions as saying that the ministry is only doing its part of the job, deploying new units and increasing the number of traffic policemen to make sure the law is properly enforced.
Abdel-Aziz Mohamed, an Interior Ministry traffic law expert, concurs. "The law will help by imposing harsher fines on violators," he said at a recent seminar. "But of course, the GTA cannot solve the crisis alone."
Mohamed added that the GTA is constantly faced with collapsing sewage networks, buses that stop in the middle of the street, and owners of apartment buildings who turn their garages into shops. "All these factors complicate the problem," he noted.
The law can be instrumental in a sense, however. Transport Minister Ibrahim El-Demiri told Al-Ahram Weekly that the new law will help him solve traffic problems in Cairo. El-Demiri is currently launching a comprehensive public transportation master plan in cooperation with Japan, which is also financing the project. There is also the current underground mega-project, of course.
Similarly, Cairo Governor Abdel-Rehim Shehata is positive the new law will facilitate his plan to alleviate traffic problems in the capital.
Officials, on the whole, are satisfied with the headway the law has made so far. According to statements issued by the GTA, many people have already stopped using mobile phones while driving, and motorists are paying more attention to vehicle maintenance. Violations of traffic regulations are also on the decrease; officials note that the number of motorists driving the wrong way down one-way streets has declined from 200,000 to 26,000 in the past two months.
The bottom line
THE NEW traffic law, in case you didn't know, imposes higher fines on violators. A fine of LE100 to LE200 will be imposed on those driving without seat belts (both front seat passengers), and licences will be withdrawn if the same offence is repeated within six months. This term, however, will be enforced after a one-year grace period, during which owners of old cars can install seat belts. The law also makes it obligatory for motorcycle riders to wear helmets.
Licences will also be withdrawn from drivers of vehicles without licence plates or with plates that have been altered or obliterated. The same penalty applies to unsafe or poorly-maintained vehicles, those without brakes or lights, and drivers using their high headlights or making unnecessary and excessive use of their horns. Motorists caught running red lights or driving the wrong way down a one-way street, among other offences, will have their licences withdrawn for a minimum period of 30 days and a maximum of 60.
Vehicle owners who change their addresses are obliged to inform the traffic department within 30 days or have their licences withdrawn.
Harsher penalties are imposed on speeding motorists, those driving without a licence and those whose licences have expired: jail (for a period not exceeding three months) or a LE100 to LE500 fine.
A LE50 fine will be imposed on motorists using their mobile or car phones while driving without a hands-free device (those who refuse to pay will have their licence withdrawn). Drivers under the influence of drugs or alcohol will be fined LE500 and be deprived of their licence for 90 days. If the same offence is repeated within six months, the driver's licence will be withdrawn for six months; if s/he violates the law again within the year, the licence will be annulled and the motorist will not be allowed to renew it before a year has passed.
Taxi drivers who turn down a passenger or fail to operate the metre will have their licences withdrawn for one month. If they repeat the offence within six months, their licence is withdrawn for three months.
Illegally parked vehicles will be towed away or chained to the ground, and the motorist will be forced to pay a fine of LE10 to retrieve the vehicle. Those parking in an area partially obstructing the traffic flow will have to pay a fine ranging from LE50 to LE200, and their licence will be withdrawn for one to two months. If the vehicle causes a total hindrance to traffic, the offender will have to pay a fine ranging from LE100 to LE500, as well as having his/her licence suspended or revoked.
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