The Deputy Transport Minister, Hassan Tampuli, has clarified that the Ministry of Transport and the government had no intention of granting privileges to Ministers, MPs, and Judges to use sirens and drive without speed limits.

According to Mr Tampuli, if the government had wanted to introduce such provisions, it would have done so in 2017, not six months ahead of the elections.

“The Ministry of Transport and the government had no appetite at all for including Ministers, MPs to use sirens and drive without speed limit. If we wanted that, we would have done that in 2017. It is not some six months to elections that anybody wants to give some privileges to MPs and Ministers of state,” he said.

• Read also: LI granting siren use rights to MPs, Ministers withdrawn

His comments come after a Legislative Instrument laid before Parliament in June sought to amend portions of the Road Traffic Regulations 2012 to allow Members of Parliament, Ministers, and judges to use sirens and drive without speed limits.

The L.I. was however withdrawn on Tuesday after public agitations.

Read also: Ministers, MPs to use sirens in cars, drive without speed limit in new L.I

Speaking on Joy FM's Super Morning Show, he attributed the controversial provisions to Parliament, specifically the Subsidiary Legislation Committee, and not the government.

He expressed relief that the L.I. has been withdrawn, acknowledging that it originated from the Committee and not the government.

“So these provisions were not from the government, it came from Parliament and nobody among the Subsidiary Legislation Committee can say, it isn’t from there and we are happy to be withdrawing this L.I.”

Listen to audio below: