Ghana’s Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has publicly refuted claims of a controversial Legislative Instrument (LI) that would grant Members of Parliament and Ministers of State the right to use sirens and potentially drive without speed limits.
The Speaker’s denial comes amidst reports that such an amendment to road traffic regulations was in the parliamentary pipeline which would allow these officials to legally use sirens to navigate through traffic congestion.
“There is nothing like that before Parliament,” Speaker Bagbin stated emphatically in a video shared by GHOne TV.
The Speaker’s declaration directly contradicts circulating information about the alleged LI, throwing into question the origin and status of the proposed changes, as well as the process by which such amendments could be made.
The controversy erupted after reports emerged that the Ministry of Transport had laid before parliament an LI seeking to amend portions of the Road Traffic Regulations 2012.
According to these reports, the amendment would modify Regulation 74 of LI 2180, extending privileges previously reserved for emergency and specialised vehicles to a broader group of government officials.
Franklin Cudjoe, president of the think tank IMANI-Africa, brought public attention to the matter by sharing portions of the alleged LI on social media. The shared information suggested that the amendment would permit the fitting of sirens or bells as warning appliances on vehicles owned by Members of Parliament, Ministers of State, and justices of the Supreme Court.
But Speaker Bagbin clarified the role of Parliament, asserting that the legislative body does not have the power to amend regulations as he explained the complexity of the legislative process, raising further questions about the reported LI.
The Speaker’s denial, coupled with his clarification about Parliament’s role in amending regulations, has highlighted potential misunderstandings about the legislative process and raised questions about the transparency of proposed changes to traffic laws.
