The Republican Police announce the second phase of its operation to crack down on traffic violations. This time it will be a question of controlling the obligations of four-wheeled vehicles and their drivers.. Among these requirements, Wearing seat belts by the driver but also by all passengers.
Until the recent past, il est exigé que le conducteur de la voiture et le passager du siège de devant aient chacun sa ceinture de sécurité. Pour éviter les violents chocs lorsqu’un accident surviendrait. Only that this measure is extended to all passengers on board cars. The first victims of these new requirements are public transport vehicles which shuttle Tokpa-Porto-Novo or Calavi-Tokpa, commonly called Tokpa-Tokpa. It is a sector whose mode of operation does not respect any regulatory standards. Even new, these minibuses are gutted and the original passenger seats are changed and the multiplication of seats in order to have more space. Instead of 12 or 15 usual places, these Tokpa-Tokpa sometimes pass to 20 even 25 passengers. Consequences, seat belts automatically disappear exposing passengers to all risks.
Since the announcement of this measure, it reflects in the rank of minibus drivers. How to avoid getting fined by the police during road checks ? Should they reconfigure the seats How to get more numbers with these new measures? Who will bear the costs if the number of seats in Tokpa-Tokpa minibuses? These are all the questions currently tormenting minds..
Arnaud ACAKPO (Coll)