The Bolgatanga East Member of Parliament, Dr Dominic Ayine, has defended the introduction of a new Legislative Instrument (L.I.) that seeks to amend parts of the Road Traffic Regulations 2012.
The proposed L.I., currently before Parliament, aims to grant Members of Parliament (MPs) and Ministers of State certain privileges previously reserved for emergency and specialized vehicles.
The amendment to Regulation 74 of L.I. 2180 will allow the installation of sirens or bells as warning devices on vehicles owned by Supreme Court justices, MPs, and Ministers of State.
This legislative change is intended to facilitate the movement of these officials, who often face demanding schedules requiring travel to multiple locations for meetings and official duties.
The proposed amendment has sparked debate among various stakeholders, with some advocating for its potential benefits in improving governmental efficiency, while others raise concerns about the broader implications of extending such privileges to elected officials.
Mounting to its defense, Dr Ayine noted that the assertion that MPs should set off home early to address their administrative businesses does not hold.
In an interview on GTV, he noted that there are emergencies that are unforeseen which cannot be catered for by leaving home early.
He believes that the only way out of this would be to use the siren in order to deal with any traffic congestion they might encounter.