The
Minister
for
Local
Government
and
Rural
Development,
Martin
Adjei
Mensah
Korsah,
has
officially
withdrawn
the
controversial
Legislative
Instrument
(L.I.)
on
behalf
of
the
Minister
for
Transport.
This
L.I.
sought
to
grant
Members
of
Parliament
(MPs),
Judges,
and
Ministers
the
privilege
to
use
sirens
and
exempt
them
from
speed
limits
while
performing
their
official
duties.
The
proposed
amendment
to
the
Road
Traffic
Regulations,
2012
(LI
2180)
sparked
significant
public
backlash
and
opposition
from
various
quarters,
including
the
Minority
Caucus
in
Parliament.
Critics
argued
that
the
amendment
was
unnecessary
and
inappropriate,
given
the
pressing
issues
facing
the
nation.
In
a
formal
statement
on
the
floor
of
Parliament,
Martin
Adjei
Mensah
Korsah
announced
the
withdrawal,
acknowledging
the
concerns
raised
by
the
public
and
stakeholders.
“Mr
Speaker,
I
rise
to
move
that
the
Road
Traffic
Regulation
Amendment
2024,
which
was
laid
on
Friday,
June
14,
2024,
be
withdrawn.
Mr.
Speaker,
this
has
become
necessary
based
on
extensive
engagement
with
leadership.
Therefore,
it
is
so
withdrawn,” he stated.
The
Minority
Caucus,
led
by
Dr.
Cassiel
Ato
Forson,
had
been
vocal
in
their
opposition
to
the
L.I.,
directing
their
members
to
vote
against
it
and
calling
for
its
immediate
withdrawal.
They
emphasised
the
need
for
the
government
to
focus
on
more
pressing
national
issues,
such
as
the
high
cost
of
living,
food
inflation,
unemployment,
high
fuel
costs,
and
the
depreciation
of
the
cedi.
The
Speaker
of
Parliament,
Alban
Bagbin,
had
also
weighed
in
on
the
matter,
denying
any
knowledge
of
such
a
Legislative
Instrument
before
the
House.
He
clarified
that
Parliament
does
not
have
the
constitutional
power
to
amend
regulations,
further
complicating
the
already
contentious
proposal.
“There
is
nothing
like
that
before
Parliament,”
Bagbin
asserted
during
a
public
lecture
on
private
member
bills
at
the
University
of
Ghana.
“I
thought
something
was
being
done
behind
my
back,
but
all
my
directors
confirmed
they
had
not
seen
any
such
L.I.”