Robert Nkili gave a press conference on October 18, 2013 in Yaounde on road accidents.
In less than two months, statistics from the Ministry of Transport indicate that over 50 people have died along various highways in the country. The most recent accident that occurred along the Tiko-Douala road between a CDC transport vehicle and truck carrying sand claimed the lives of some 19 people while several others were injured.
During a press conference in Yaounde last Friday October 18, 2013, the Minister of Transport, Robert Nkili, said whether Cameroonians like it or not, government will ensure their security along the various highways in the country. Speaking in the presence of the Minister of Communication, Issa Tchiroma and other road security experts, Robert Nkili outlined stringent measures taken by his ministerial department to curb accidents along Cameroonian roads.
The Minister of Transport said from January 2014, a new system of driving licences will be instituted in which a number of points will be withdrawn from the driving licences of those involved in accident. After a series of point removals, such a driving licence will be suspended for one year. All drivers without driving licences will be taken to court for prosecution.
Talking about trucks parked wrongly along the highway, Robert Nkili said such trucks will be immediately impounded and their drivers called for questioning. However, where such a truck is the cause of an accident, the driver will be immediately taken to court. Henceforth, all transport vehicles that carry from 30 to 70 people are required to install a speed limit instrument in their cars to respect the prescribed 110 km/h. Truck drivers have also been ordered to respect a speed limit of 90 km/h. All road users who do not respect the required speed limit will have their vehicles impounded and points removed from their driving licences.
Furthermore, all drivers involved in fatal accidents will have their driving licences suspended for one year while the proprietor's right to operate the car involved will be also be suspended for one year. The Minister of Transport also called on the gendarmerie to replace fixed road safety checkpoints with gendarmes patrolling on motorcycles along highways to track defaulters.
The police and gendarme control units were also urged to strictly punish offenders of the Highway Code. The repressive phase of the road safety control measures has just started and "Axe of Damascus" will hit hard on defaulters, the Minister promised.
