Transport Minister shocked during surprise road visit: 70% of vehicles violate regulations

The Minister of Transport, Jean Ernest Massena Ngalle Bibehe, recently conducted a surprise inspection of vehicles and driving conditions on National Roads No. 3 and 4 and was shocked by what he saw.

In a statement released by the Ministry, 210 out of 290 vehicles inspected on National Road No. 4 were liable for overspeeding, overloading, lack of approval for transporting goods, driving licence violations, and failure to undergo technical inspections.

The Minister also forced buses from three inter-urban transport agencies that had left Yaounde for Douala to return to Yaounde for “non-compliance with safety regulations,” according to the Ministry of Transport.

The unannounced visits were part of a broader initiative aimed at assessing the mid-term progress of a special campaign by the Ministry of Transport to enhance road safety and prevention measures.

This campaign, which began on June 5, 2024, is set to conclude on September 30, 2024.

According to Minister Ngalle Bibehe, the primary objective of the inspection was to ensure that safety measures are in place as the new school year approaches, leading to increased travel by children and families.

The surprise inspection is also coming after numerous accidents that have occurred in the country recently, claiming dozens of lives..

During the inspection, Minister Bibehe was seen checking vehicles, verifying car documents, and inspecting other safety-related aspects.

The inspection took place at Ebebda after the Okoa Maria tollgate, at the Olembé bus station, as well as in certain travel agencies in Yaounde and Douala.

“As an illustration, on National Road No. 4, out of 290 vehicles checked in one morning, 210 vehicles were responsible for various infractions, including non-compliance with the speed limit, failure to have approval for the transport of various goods, failure to undergo a technical inspection, overloading, and non-compliance of driving licences,” the Ministry of Transport said in a statement.

“On National Road No. 3, the same observation. The buses of three intercity passenger transport companies were sent back to Yaoundé for non-compliance with safety instructions.”

The Ministry added that “apart from this, the MINT instructed the heads of agencies of the said companies to give passengers who already had their travel tickets another more compliant bus.

“The Douala stage mainly consisted of checking a few travel agencies in the city, namely: Finexs, Touristique Express, and Cerise Express. In these, the MINT checked the condition of the buses, the drivers’ restrooms, the toilets, and the monitoring room of Touristique Express.”

The Minister equally saluted the efforts of some agencies for safety measures taken to minimise road accidents.

Some of these agencies, the Ministry said, have onboard cameras, which allow them to better control their drivers on the road and secure their trips. 

“During these two raids, the MINT applied the most severe sanctions provided for by the regulations in force to offenders to serve as an example,” the Transport Ministry said.

“It did not fail to raise awareness among agency promoters to apply the security measures of their vehicles and travellers, not to be complicit in the non-compliance with said measures, and to be more civic-minded,” it added.

©Mimi Mefo Info