In a statement to APS, the president of the National Federation of Passenger and Goods Transport, affiliated to the General Union of Algerian Traders and Craftsmen (UGCAA), Mr. Abdelkader Boucherit, welcomed the decisions taken by the President of the Republic during this meeting, notably the immediate importation of 10,000 new passenger buses, following the decision to withdraw obsolete buses from the national fleet.
According to him, these decisions, which are likely to "strengthen road safety", are "reassuring for private transporters" and public transport in general.
The same speaker also welcomed the decisions relating to civil liability and the monitoring of drivers, particularly for the detection of possible drug use, arguing that "subjecting bus drivers and conductors to monitoring is in the interest of all parties and contributes to the preservation of public safety."
The president of the Algerian Association for the Protection and Guidance of Consumers and their Environment (APOCE), Mr. Mustapha Zebdi, also welcomed these decisions, which he considered "necessary," stressing that the measures relating to the definition of responsibilities "will contribute to the recategorization of the causes of road accidents," which "will encourage all parties to show greater professionalism."
In the same vein, he noted the need to "regulate the activity of driving schools in order to avoid any excesses in the issuing of driving licenses."
For her part, the president of the National Association of Professional Driving School Instructors, Ms. Nabila Ferhat, indicated that "strengthening control and strict enforcement of the highway code will contribute to reducing road accidents," stating that the extension of responsibility to parties responsible for roads and their maintenance, driving schools and vehicle technical inspection establishments constitutes "a real
"advanced" in road safety.
For his part, international road safety researcher and expert, Mr. Morsli Amrani, clarified that these "crucial" measures are part of efforts to prevent road accidents.
The renewal of the national road transport fleet is a "necessary measure and an important step towards the modernization of the transport sector," he said.
As a reminder, the President of the Republic chaired a meeting on Tuesday devoted to the transport sector, during which historic and important decisions were taken, including the immediate importation of 10,000 new passenger buses to replace the old ones and the immediate and massive importation of various types of vehicle tires.
It was also decided to develop new legislation on road traffic regulations, to impose civil liability on those responsible for road accidents, to strengthen control centers to detect possible consumption of drugs or psychotropic substances and to extend liability in the event of accidents to parties responsible for the construction and maintenance of roads, driving schools and
vehicle technical inspection bodies.