The Egyptian Cabinet agreed on Thursday evening to a traffic bill which enacts stricter penalties for serious violations aiming to reduce accidents and enhance general deterrence.
The violations include driving without a license, speeding, violating traffic lanes, driving without a license, tampering with license plates, polluting roads, and obstructing traffic.
The fines range from 2,000 to 10,000 Egyptian pounds for lane violations or speeding, and from 5,000 to 15,000 Egyptian pounds for polluting the road, noise pollution, non-compliant exhaust, odors, spillage or leakage of hazardous materials, and failing to secure loads, with penalties doubling upon recurrence and license withdrawal on the third offense.
The penalties range from 2,000 to 5,000 Egyptian pounds or imprisonment up to a year for driving without a license or having incorrect plates, with the penalty doubling upon recurrence and imprisonment on the third occurrence.
According to Egyptian parliamentarians, the punishments came about following recent increases in road accidents in Egypt, including incidents on the Regional Road that have shaken Egyptian society.
According to the latest official statistics from the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics, there were 5,260 deaths from road accidents in the year 2024, with Cairo province having the highest number at 766 deceased, and Suez being the lowest at 6 deceased.
During the same year, the injuries totaled 76,362, with Dakahlia province having the highest at 15,563 injuries, while Suez also had the lowest number of injuries at 39.
Makram Radwan, a member of the Egyptian House of Representatives, told "Al Arabiya.net" and "Al Hadath.net" that the decision to increase traffic penalties was not the best solution for dealing with violations on the roads, stating that more effective solutions include increasing the presence of cameras on public roads, along with the use of radars and continuous traffic patrols.
He noted that raising fines and harsher penalties did not achieve the desired goal, but that actual monitoring by traffic officers was the key factor, adding that citizens' awareness of cameras everywhere makes them more compliant with laws, as violators pay fines immediately upon being caught.
Radwan clarified that the decision to raise fines will only be effective in areas with actual monitoring, and in areas lacking monitoring, it will not lead to citizens' compliance, emphasizing the importance of combining penalties with practical monitoring to ensure desired outcomes are achieved on the ground.
On his part, Dr. Samir Rashad Abu Talib, a lecturer in law at Egyptian universities, told "Al Arabiya.net" and "Al Hadath.net", that the law increasing traffic penalties is a positive step in the state's efforts to reduce traffic accidents on the roads.
He explained that some drivers cause numerous accidents due to human errors and violating traffic rules, making it crucial to set strict traffic controls to ensure the safety of citizens.
Abu Talib indicated that amending the traffic law and increasing fines helps enhance drivers' compliance with laws, asserting that the new penalties are not large but sufficient to deter violators and make them think before committing a violation, clarifying that the bigger problem is some violators' disregard for the lives of others.
He confirmed that the purpose of the amendments is to combine financial deterrence and practical monitoring to ensure everyone complies with the laws and protect lives.
Egypt witnessed a series of deadly accidents in 2025, which was the main driver behind the government and parliament's movement to increase traffic penalties.
In June last year, the Regional Road witnessed the "Vineyard Girls" accident, which resulted in the death of 19 people, including 18 girls between the ages of 14 and 23, who were on their way to work in vineyards.
In the current December, the road witnessed an accident involving the overturning and burning of a minibus, resulting in 7 deaths and the charred remains of the bodies, with 5 others suffering from serious injuries.
Previously in July, a collision between two buses at the junction connecting the Regional Road and the Cairo-Alexandria Desert Road resulted in 9 deaths and 11 injuries.
It was found that the cause of the accident was excessive speed and a wrong overtaking attempt by one of the drivers, leading to a head-on collision.
