Binyam Tesfaye, a 31-year-old father of two, is struggling under the weight of Addis Abeba’s new traffic regulations. Earning 7,000 Br a month, he spends 5,000 Br on rent, leaving little for other expenses.
"Living in Addis Abeba on this salary is very difficult," he said. Biniyam and his wife, a teacher earning 5,800 Br, find it hard to make ends meet. To cover his child’s 2,100 Br school fees, he had been relying on part-time work and borrowing money. However, this fragile financial balance has been disrupted by the city's newly enforced traffic fines.
In just a few days, Biniyam has been fined twice. The first fine, 1,500 Br, was for transporting furniture that extended out of his pickup truck (oversize load), a common practice. Unable to pay, he had to borrow the money.
Shortly after, he was fined another 1,000 Br for stopping on a pedestrian crossing to avoid running a red light and being hit by a car from behind. Despite explaining the situation, he says, the traffic officer dismissed his plea.
These fines, totalling 2,500 Br, amount to over 35pc of his monthly income. "Being a driver is becoming too costly," he said. Biniyam is considering resigning, but the tough job market makes him hesitant. He admits migration might be his only option.
He is not alone. Many drivers face job losses and financial strain due to new traffic regulations recently implemented by the Council of Ministers. The higher fines add to the burden of rising fuel and car maintenance costs.
Gebre Mengiste, a taxi driver, has also been hit hard by the new rules. "The only way to avoid these fines is to work at night," he said. He had to switch to night shifts after being fined 1,500 Br for picking up a passenger in a no-stopping zone. Though the night shift disrupts his family routine, including taking his daughter to school, it helps him avoid fines.
Working from 8 PM to 6 AM, Gebre earns 2,000 Br daily after expenses but must pay 1,200 Br to the car’s owner, leaving him with just 800 Br. "The fines are equivalent to two days’ income, which is unsustainable," he said. The driver says that the lack of parking spaces worsens the situation. "The government should improve infrastructure before enforcing these rules."
Driver & vehicle licencing & control authority, Kirkos branch
Nuredin Ditamo, chairperson of the Bilen Taxi Association, criticised the regulations, saying they threaten the livelihoods of taxi drivers. Rising fuel and spare part costs have already forced many drivers to work without assistants to cut expenses.
He worries about the new demerit point system and the three-tier penalty structure for minor offences. “We were not consulted as stakeholders,” he said. “They only involved us when the regulation was being released.”
Nuredin says drivers are being unfairly fined for penalties caused by pedestrians. "Even when pedestrians cause accidents, taxi drivers are fined and suspended," he said.
Drivers causing accidents with bodily injuries now face strict penalties under the new Council of Ministers regulation 557/2016. A driver causing bodily injury may have their license suspended for six months and receive 14 demerit points. For accidents resulting in serious injuries, the suspension increases to one year, with 17 demerit points.
The regulation enforces a three-tier penalty system for traffic violations. Stage one offences which include smoking while driving, seating a child under 13 in the front, or giving money to beggars result in a 500 Br fine and one demerit point.
Second-tier violations including using earphones, driving without lights, signalling incorrectly, or failing to yield to pedestrians result in a 1,000 Br fine and two demerit points. Stage three penalties incur a 1,500 Br fine and three demerit points for more severe infractions, including running red lights, driving out of lane, stopping on bridges, using phones while driving, and exceeding passenger limits.
Speeding also carries heavy fines. Driving up to 5 km/h above the speed limit incurs no penalty, but exceeding it by 6-10 km/h results in a 1,500 Br fine and three demerit points. Speeds 11-20 km/h over the limit attract a 1,700 Br fine and three points.
A Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety (BIGRS) study revealed widespread speeding in Addis Abeba. Around 44pc of drivers exceed speed limits, averaging 57 km/h, while 46pc of motorcyclists were also found speeding.
The new traffic regulations include offences with fines up to 20,000 Br and legal consequences. Driving with a suspended license incurs a 3,000 Br fine and eight demerit points.
A point-based driver suspension system is also introduced. Accumulating 14-16 points in a year leads to a 6-month suspension, 17-20 points a one-year suspension, and 21 and more points 18-month suspension.
Suspended drivers must complete mandatory training and retesting for license reinstatement.
For child safety, children under seven must use secured safety seats in the rear, although this will be enforced once the Ministry of Transport & Logistics (MoTL) issues a directive. Children under 13 are prohibited from sitting in the front passenger seat.
Amare Tarekegn, deputy director of the Addis Abeba Traffic Management Authority (TMA), stated that enforcement began after extensive public awareness efforts. “We have worked with schools and the media to educate the public,” he said.
Despite a decline in fatalities, traffic violations increased from 1.2 million to 1.4 million in the past six months. Over 18,000 pedestrians were also caught breaking traffic rules. Fatalities from traffic accidents decreased from 480 to 401 last year.
“Driver carelessness needs to be reduced, and this regulation will help us,” Amare said. The new law consolidates scattered road safety rules into one regulation.
“The only way to avoid fines is to drive carefully and stay aware,” he said.
Recent data from the Authority shows a drop in fined drivers, from 14,716 between December 24, 2024, and January 8, 2025, to 11,174 between January 9 and January 23, 2025, a decrease of 3,542 after the enforcement of new traffic regulations.
Genet Dibaba, TMA’s communication head, praised the regulation for addressing key causes of road accidents, including speeding, drunk driving, red-light violations, and phone use. She says the Authority is working on educating the public before implementation. To reduce traffic congestion, TMA has also enforced basement parking requirements in over 145 buildings, creating 2,490 additional parking spaces.
“The accessibility of parking spaces is very crucial,” she said.
The Addis Abeba Police Commission’s (AAPC) traffic department collaborates with TMA to ensure road safety. Solomon Adane (inspector) stated that over the past six months, more than one million drivers were fined for violations. These include over 27,600 for speeding, more than 100,000 for ignoring traffic lights, over 1,000 for driving without a license, and more than 11,000 for operating vehicles without quality licenses.
Abiy Aleneh, a lecturer at Kotebe University of Education (KUE), supports the regulation but worries about the steep fines, which he believes are disproportionate to drivers' incomes. He says that most countries fine one percent to two percent of drivers’ average income, while the current system fines over 25pc of many drivers' salaries.
“While the regulation will boost government revenue, the fines are not fair for many drivers,” he said.
Abiy recommends the application of advanced solutions like cameras and digital tracking systems, along with public awareness campaigns, to enhance road safety and reduce accidents.
PUBLISHED ON
Jan 25,2025 [ VOL
25 , NO
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