Stop go

First-aid kits and reflective triangles have been in the news for months. So what are motorists really supposed to carry? And will they be free? asks Reem Leila

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The reflective stop triangle and first-aid kit have been a matter of public debate since the new traffic law was endorsed in August. Then the Ministry of Interior declared that both were mandatory and a fine of LE50 would be imposed on all drivers who lacked either item. The announcement sparked a bout of panic buying, with traders cashing in to maximise profits. The Interior Ministry subsequently postponed the deadline until November in order to allow motorists to purchase the triangles and first-aid kits without pressure. This grace period was later extended till February. And in a new twist the Interior Ministry has now announced that the two items are to be provided free of charge. In the meantime, the specifications of the first-aid kit have been changed on several occasions, adding to the confusion of the public.

Almost nine months after the new traffic law came into effect, imposing hefty fines and in some cases prison sentences for traffic violations, many members of the public are beginning to wonder what all the fuss was about in the first place. The most common complaint is that despite the changes in the law motorists behave exactly as they always have. People still double park, jump traffic lights, speed, use mobile phones when driving, and indulge the peculiar habit of driving in the wrong lane. But at least, as Minister of Interior Habib El-Adli announced late last month, they no longer face the prospect of fines for not carrying bandages and the stop triangle. From 1 May the ministry will itself oversee their distribution, free of charge, to all drivers of taxis and private cars.

Major-General Sherif Gomaa, assistant to the Ministry of Interior, says the cost of the scheme, estimated at LE350 million, will be footed by businessmen and NGOs.

"Only private cars and taxis will receive the items free. Others, drivers of trucks, buses and mini-buses, will have to buy their own. The price of both items should not exceed LE70."

Newspapers have repeatedly claimed that vacillation over the triangles and first-aid kits was a result of businessmen competing to supply them and in the process make enormous profits. Not so, says Gomaa. The ministry had option, he argues, but to introduce strict specifications since the two items are there to enhance safety. "Motorists can easily pick up the first-aid kit and the stop triangle when renewing their licence or collecting it for the first time from the traffic department they are registered with," says Gomaa.

"Almost everything that has been published on this particular issue has been inaccurate," he continued. "Believe it or not these items are intended to help people. It's not as if we require people to perform surgery on the sidewalk. But if someone is hurt and bleeding at least you will have something to bandage them with."

The specifications for the reflective stop triangle have remained consistent. The three corners must be curved and not pointed and the length of each side be more than 43cm but less than 56cm. The lightweight triangle must be stable when placed on a concrete surface and exposed to winds. In addition, the reflective substance inside the triangle must neither expand nor contract.

Cairo motorists find it difficult to believe in the ministry's free gift. Ayman Ragab, an employee at a private satellite channel, suspects the Ministry of Interior will add the cost of the stop triangle and first-aid kit to the fees it charges for renewing licences.

"Each year I pay a different amount for the same service and the same car. It is very easy to deceives the public and add on costs without specifying what they are for," he says.

Nor is Ragab convinced about the usefulness of the compulsory items. "The triangle isn't really needed in the city where the streets are narrow and unfit for high speed. The triangles are important on the speedways though. And to be frank, in an accident I would be worried about trying to help the victims because I might hurt them even more. Critical cases need specialised help."

Major-General Kamel Yassin, head of Giza Traffic Department, says that for the first 18 months drivers who fail to produce either item will not be fined. But "a LE100 fine will be paid in the case of their absence while renewing the licence after the beginning of May," says Yassin.

Abdel-Rahman Shahin, spokesman at the Ministry of Health, says the requirements for the first-aid kit have already changed three times. Currently kits must contain a pair of medical gloves, gauze, scissors, a first-aid booklet, sterilised gauze for the eyes and one roll of sterilised gauze for wounds. "In addition the kit should be either made of hard plastic or strong fabric and carry the Health Ministry's seal as well as the 122 and 123 emergency numbers."

While the owners of private cars and taxis are happy with El-Adli's decision, others are less than thrilled, not least those who had already begun importing the first-aid kits.

Ashraf Zaher, a businessman who says he was asked to import 250,000 first-aid kits from China at the price of LE15 per each now fears his company faces bankruptcy if he fails to sell them.

Mohamed Selim is in a similar situation. "Now I could lose everything. The ministry has assigned other businessmen to do the job. We demand the ministry buy what we have already produced in order not to drive us into bankruptcy."

Gomaa denies that the ministry had contracted with anyone to supply the triangle or the first-aid kit.

"The businessmen who are going to deliver the first-aid kits and stop triangles were not assigned by the government, they are donors and sponsors," explains Gomaa, who points out that anyone who has already imported or produced the items will be able to sell them at a later date, providing they meet official specifications.