Motorbike taxi drivers who insist on circulating on the streets and avenues of Luanda, without authorization for the purpose or with motorbikes without adequate conditions, will be penalized, after the awareness period ends in December 2023, within the scope of the Program of Traffic Planning (POT)
The guarantee was given yesterday to the newspaper OPAÍS by the director of the Provincial Office of Transport, Traffic and Urban Mobility of the Provincial Government of Luanda (GPL), Sérgio Sachicuata, who spoke about the end of the three-month period set to raise awareness among motorcycle taxi drivers. about the importance of POT.
The head of the aforementioned office stated that the Government granted the period described, with the purpose of allowing motorcycle taxi drivers to legalize and technically prepare their means, as well as their training, mainly in terms of the Highway Code. The measure, according to Sérgio Sachicuata, pursues the objective of reducing the strong signs of lack of knowledge of the rules governing driving by motorcyclists, a fact that, he said, leads to an increase in the road accident rate in the country, with particularity in Luanda.
Therefore, he explained that, once the awareness period has officially ended, those who do not have the conditions required by the GPL, in order to carry out the motorcycle taxi activity, will be penalized by the Traffic Police, who work in strict collaboration with the Provincial Government, within the scope of the POT. “[Agora]the Police will, in those cases where transgressions are found, make the appropriate seizures and, whenever justified, in other cases, arrests”, guaranteed the director of the GPL Transport, Traffic and Urban Mobility Office.
Awareness raising work will continue
On the other hand, he highlighted that, although the coercive phase is open, awareness-raising work should continue, as the GPL will act in this direction, while the Police will be dedicated to applying coercive measures to offenders. According to Sérgio Sachicuata, the Government intends to insist on training actions for this fringe of society through the rooms that have been opened in the municipalities, in order to change the low level of knowledge of the Highway Code among them.
“We will continue, in parallel to monitor and raise awareness, through AMOTRANG, where they are affiliated, and for those who are not, directly, on the ‘boards’ and beyond, we will continue to pass on the message for legalization motorcycle taxi activity, legalization of the vehicle and training of the driver himself”, he explained.
Director Sérgio Sachicuata said that, after the awareness raising period, GPL began working with the Traffic Police, in order to continue inspection actions and, at the same time, awareness raising.
He explained that the decision was taken due to the fact that the results obtained were not yet those established in the aforementioned program. “We recognize that mismatched motorcycles still continue to circulate: lack of registration, poor technical condition, and many of them still without helmets. That’s true,” he admitted.