City Begins Enforcing New Transport Penalties


City Begins Enforcing New Transport Penalties

City transport officials have begun implementing strict penalties for service providers who fail to comply with new regulations. Drivers who stop service before 10:00pm, deviate from designated routes, or cut off their routes will be fined 5,000 Br. An additional 5,000 Br fine applies for charging passengers above the approved tariff set by the city administration. The Addis Abeba Transport Bureau has confirmed the regulations are in effect. Taxi drivers in the city have raised concerns, particularly over the extended operating hours and lack of fare adjustments for night services. They argue that low passenger flow from the city's outskirts at night, rising operational costs, and safety risks require a tariff revision to maintain operation viability. Drivers also claim police officers extort them and criticise the city’s penalty point system, which enforces strict penalties for violations, including accidents. Authorities deny the allegations and attribute some fare inflation to collusion between drivers and enforcement officers. City officials claim the rules are part of broader efforts to organise public transport and commercial activities and are intended to improve access to essential services. The new laws also require commercial establishments to match operating hours with public transport schedules. The officials hope that enforcing the rules will enhance consumer access to transport and retail services.

[ssba-buttons]

Radar

Ethiopia Unveils Consortium to Insure Millions of Farmers

Ethiopia has launched its Agricultural Insurance Consortium (AICE), pledging to protect three million farmers by 2026. Announced on July 3, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency, the initiative is backed by Pula Advisors and five major Ethiopian insurers. AICE plans to promote climate resilience through insurance bundled with the government's input voucher system. Leveraging AI platforms like Mavuno and PIE, it plans to standardise products, lower costs, and expand coverage to over 200 woredas. With agricu...


Radar

New Coopbank Partnership Targets Youth Economic Empowerment

The Cooperative Bank of Oromia (Coopbank) has signed a strategic agreement with Melka Ethiopia to provide loan services to over 120,000 young men and women nationwide. The partnership plans to promote youth economic empowerment by expanding access to finance and creating jobs, with a strong focus on rural and underserved areas. Both institutions held joint discussions to explore ways to improve youth livelihoods and financial inclusion. By closing access gaps, the partnership is expected to help...


Radar

Ethiopian Netpreneur Program Training Kicks Off

The Ethiopian Netpreneur 2025 Training Program has officially launched its first cohort in Addis Abeba with 64 entrepreneurs beginning their first round of training. Organised by the Global Digital Talent Academy, the initiative plans to empower local business owners, startup founders, and digital sector players with global-level e-commerce skills. At the launch event, Innovation and Technology Minister Belete Mola (PhD) urged participants to leverage the opportunity to build networks and shape...