The Haitian organization Technical and Operational Services for to Stop Accidents (STOP-Accidents) takes note of the State's decision to strengthen, through the general budget of the Republic for the fiscal year 2020-2021 in its article 29, the measures taken in the decree of 1 June 2005 relating to the registration and inspection of vehicles and calls for the creation of a specialized road police unit.

Article 29 :

"Articles 124, 125, 126 of the decree of June 1, 2005 relating to Vehicle Inspection read as follows:

a) The following vehicles are subject to the biannual inspection: vehicles belonging to the State (Official, State Service), vehicles of Diplomatic and Consular Missions and International Organizations (CD, CC, OI ), and those of Temporary Registration (IT) admitted to a franchise scheme;

b) The following vehicles are subject to the quarterly inspection, the inspection fees of which are set at Five Hundred (500.00) gourdes per quarter:

Public transport vehicles, rental vehicles, heavy vehicles and those assigned to the transport of goods of all kinds as well as pneumatic civil engineering vehicles;

c) Are subject to the semi-annual inspection private vehicles whose inspection fees are set at one thousand (1000) gourdes per semester."

This decision marks an important step in the fight led by STOP Accidents for road safety in Haiti, however, other measures must follow in order to put the country in line with a real road safety policy.

For four years now, the organization has been advocating for a specialized unit within the National Police of Haiti (PNH), dedicated to road safety which will take charge of the systematic supervision of vehicles and sanction bad behavior by drivers on the road. Because, very often it is the aforementioned failures that cause so much mourning and damage within our families and in society.

STOP Accidents reminds that drivers have everything to gain by regularly inspecting their vehicle, just as the State has the imperative obligation to strengthen its police structure in order to secure the population on the roads. The inspection will make it possible to foresee the mechanical failures of the vehicle and possibly breakdowns which could surprise on the way.

IH/ S/ iciHaiti