Region | Egypt
New Egypt traffic law proves a boom for some
The new traffic law is aimed at replenishing the state coffers with money "at the expense of the poor driver," says Hussain Mustafa, a taxi driver in this megacity of 10 million.
- By Ramadan Al Sherbini, Correspondent
- Published: 23:25 August 4, 2008
- Image Credit: Bloomberg News
- Cars pass through a street off Ta'alat Harb Square in downtown Cairo, Egypt. The government says the new traffic law is aimed at reducing road accidents that claim more than 6,000 lives every year.
Cairo: The new traffic law is aimed at replenishing the state coffers with money "at the expense of the poor driver," says Hussain Mustafa, a taxi driver in this megacity of 10 million.
"Is it logical to oblige drivers to carry first-aid kits in their cars though the majority do not know how to administer first aid?" asked Mustafa.
The government has said that the law, which promises tough penalties ranging from hefty fines to jail terms, is aimed at reducing road accidents that claim more than 6,000 lives annually.
Under the new law, which went into effect on August 1, taxis manufactured more than 20 years ago, are not allowed on the roads. Authorities have said they will set up a fund to help taxi drivers to replace their old vehicles with new ones, which comply with environmental protection standards.
"They will take the old taxi for a very cheap price and offer you 15,000 Egyptian pounds (about Dh10,464) as a loan, while any new car sells for no less than 60,000 Egyptian pounds (about Dh41,859)," Mustafa, told Gulf News. "This will place an extra burden on taxi drivers and force many out of the business."
But for auto spare parts dealers, the new traffic law has proved a windfall. It has given rise to a brisk business in first-aid kits in particular. Due to high demand for the obligatory kit, some shoe workshops have jumped into the fray. They convert shoe boxes into first-aid kits and sell them to motorists for 45 Egyptian pounds (about Dh31), according to local media.
Other shops are peddling iron tool boxes used by craftsmen. They paint them red and put a crescent sticker used by the Ministry of Health on the box. The health authorities have warned that these kits do not comply with set standards.
The new law specifies the contents of the kit as including cotton, scissors, and a bottle of antiseptic, a first- aid booklet, sterilised gauze, medical gloves, a flashlight, bandage rolls, and a special bandage for bone fractures.
Experts assert that most first-aid kits available in the market are substandard. "These kits are useless and cannot even be used by doctors," said Dr Mahmoud Rabae, a surgeon at private hospital in Cairo. "If I found someone hit by a car, and lying on the road, the victim would require emergency surgery. No kit would help save his life," he told Gulf News.
In an apparent attempt to stop the trade in substandard kits, the Ministry of Interior last week agreed to a grace period of three months for acquiring kits.
Drivers, like Mustafa are still worried. "The traffic police may insist on giving me a ticket during this grace period," he said. "What they really want is to collect as much money as possible from us."
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