By M.A. Egge
The Minister of Transport for Road Development in Somaliland, Hon. Osman Ibrahim Nur Af-gaab, has underscored the importance his government places on the road connection between Somaliland and neighboring countries.
He lamented on the statistics of the traffic case that has gone out of hand and the need to put them in check.
The minister has also disclosed that the government vehicle registration exercises were nearing completion.
Government vehicles had hitherto no log-books and their introduction and agency attached to would go down well in having government inventory in check.
The transport minister gave the sentiments during an exclusive interview he had with Dawan newspapers reporter Feysal Hiis Afgaab.
Minister Osman-Afgaab decried that the level of road accidents have skyrocketed and that it ought to be put in check forthwith.
He said that in January this year alone over 600 cases were reported.
He said, “As the traffic law enforcement forces reported, there were 620 accidents in January, resulting in deaths, injuries and property damage. This shows that there were about 20 accidents per day”.
He continued, “This is a shocking fact that needs to be addressed. We are making efforts to control this issue. In the past, vehicles, roads and drivers were blamed for the accidents, but now 90% of them are attributed to the drivers, vehicles that were incongruous with the road lanes specifications (thus left vs. right-handed ones) and the un-serviced vehicles plying the roads.”
He pointed out that the stopping of importation of incongruous road-stipulation vehicles alone was not the only resolution but that the regulations of issuance of licenses has to be tightened.
He observed that the national driving licenses regulating systems do not ban repeated offenders from driving. He attributed to such repetitive death-causing drivers as tantamount to being slayers and butchers hence ought to be stopped.
He revealed that amendments of the laws are in the offing.
He also said that rising awareness on the matter of the increasing number of traffic accidents is to be initiated.
He pointed out that good infrastructure was the back-bone of the national coffers hence it was imperative that road connections to the national frontiers, between the regions and also inter districts ought to be put in place.
He said that coastal towns in Sanaag have to be well connected just as those in Sahil district in the hinterland; so too, should the roads that connect to Ethiopia and Djibouti be built.
The minister said that following the initiatives, the government is currently embarking on the Hargeisa-Balligubdle road and also the Baki-Borame one.
On the other hand the minister praised the president’s successive trips to the United Arab Emirates and the achievements he made there.
He said. “The President’s trip was a valuable one, that testify to where Somaliland is heading”, quipping that it was triumphant to both the President and the nation of Somaliland.