• Algeria recorded over 2,500 road deaths and nearly 20,000 injuries in 2024.

• The new 193-article Road Code introduces 50 new measures to tighten safety and compliance.

• The government plans to import 10,000 new buses by early 2026 and establish a local assembly plant.

Algeria is preparing a new Road Code aimed at improving traffic safety and reducing the economic and human toll of road accidents, which killed more than 2,500 people and injured nearly 20,000 in 2024, according to official data.

During the Council of Ministers held on Sunday, November 2, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune welcomed the draft Road Code, describing it as a comprehensive reform designed to strengthen road safety and traffic regulation.

The new text, which includes 193 articles and over 50 new provisions, introduces stricter oversight across the road safety chain — from driving schools and drivers to vehicles and enforcement tools. It mandates periodic and unannounced medical checks for professional drivers, accredits sworn investigators for traffic accidents, and equips law enforcement with new technology, including drug-testing devices and electronic payment terminals for on-the-spot fines.

The legislative overhaul coincides with a broader government effort to modernize Algeria’s road transport system. The Transport Ministry plans to import 10,000 new buses by the first quarter of 2026, according to local media reports. Of these, 4,680 buses will replace those over 30 years old, while 5,320 will renew part of the fleet aged between 20 and 30 years.

The government also intends to establish a domestic bus assembly plant to bolster local production and reduce reliance on imports, aligning with its industrial diversification agenda.

The reform follows a resurgence in road accidents nationwide, which has reignited debate over the aging vehicle fleet and the lack of adherence to traffic regulations. 

This article was initially published in French by Henoc Dossa

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum