Many motorists face new and stricter traffic regulations introduced by the Council of Ministers. The regulations include a three-tier penalty system with higher fines and demerit points, hitting offenders for everything from running a red light to improperly seating a child. A new demerit point system means licenses can be suspended for six months to a year or more once a driver accumulates between 14 and 21 points. Fuel price hikes and costly vehicle maintenance add further pressure, prompting many taxi drivers to consider leaving their jobs in search of better prospects.
Taxi association leaders argue the regulations were implemented without sufficient consultation. They raise concerns that drivers are being penalised for mistakes caused by pedestrians, and that the city government should focus on improving infrastructure, including parking facilities, before levying heavy fines. Addis Abeba Traffic Management Authority officials counter that they carried out extensive public awareness campaigns, insisting that increased fines will save lives by curbing driver negligence. Although traffic-related fatalities dropped from 480 to 401 over the last year, the total number of traffic violations rose from 1.2 million to 1.4 million in six months. Officials credit stricter enforcement for the declining death toll, though many drivers fear the new fines will devastate those with limited incomes. The Authority also reports a drop in fined drivers from 14,716 to 11,174 in two consecutive weeks, attributing the latest measures to prompting greater caution on the roads.
Yet experts caution that fines amounting to over 25pc of many drivers’ monthly earnings are unrealistic, noting that penalties represent one or two percent of drivers’ average incomes in most countries. They call for modernised approaches such as cameras and digital tracking systems, combined with continued public awareness, to achieve the intended safety benefits without imposing a crushing economic burden on those who keep the city’s transport network running. Drivers say they have switched to night shifts to avoid fines of up to 1,500 Br for infractions such as stopping in no-parking zones. A driver says he makes around 800 Br a day after expenses, but each fine can easily wipe out two days’ earnings, an amount he and others view as unsustainable.
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