New software to help city collect better vehicle, driver data

The Addis Ababa Road and Transport Bureau is attempting to determine the exact number of cars on its roads by using new software which will enable the city to collect data about the manufacturing date, model, and operation area of the vehicles to help better manage traffic.
The software will use a driver management information system, vehicle management information system, network and data center infrastructure and driver testing surveillance system. It will be installed by a Chinese company, Beijing E –Hualu Information Technology Co., LtD which will import the material to install the software.
From the estimated 850,000 cars in Ethiopia half are operating in Addis Ababa.
Aregawi Maru, Public Relation head of the Addis Ababa Road and Transport Bureau told Capital that the software will help better analyze and maintain the transport network.
“Our data on licenses and vehicles is inaccurate so we need to upgrade to provide better service for our city.’’   Last year police reported 15,086 accidents and the loss of 2,161 lives.
In the 2005/6 Ethiopian Calendar traffic accidents and fatalities increased 17 % and 10 % per year respectively, but recently there has been a sudden drop. This could be due to random variation or under reporting. Even though the government has invested in road network expansion and rehabilitation, and the extent and severity of road traffic accidents to road transport, Ethiopia has no road safety policy or strategy. As a result of this, road safety issues in the country are, generally, addressed by different agencies in a piecemeal fashion without a legal lead agency.
Transport legislations and regulations used in Ethiopia are generally old for the present situations. However, some revised and new transport legislations are enacted recently. The legal document for the establishment of a National Road Safety Council, and other transport legislations are revised and waiting approval.
In related news the Bureau denied reports that they are in negotiations over a potential new cable car system.
Two weeks ago Capital reported that the US based Doppelmayr began talking with the Addis Ababa Transport bureau about constructing a 5 km- 7km length cable car in the outskirts of Addis Ababa.
However, Aregawi Maru said “there is no point of discussion we have made with the company so far.’’