Following a string of targeted attacks against foreign and national dignitaries, the Interior Ministry decided to implement a ban on motorcycles, as to prevent further assassination, while devising a long term security action plan.
Government officials explained that while they understand such measures can only be temporary, they stressed that a ban will allow the authorities to pre-empt on any more “shoot and scoot” attack as Yemen resumes its political transition. Plagued by political roadblocks, sabotages and security threats the impoverished nation has had to weather many storms over the past year alone.
But as per noted by President Abdo Rabbo Mansour Hadi last Friday, the coalition is stubbornly determined to see through the country’s political transition, according to the terms of the GCC-brokered initiative.
Enforced starting this Sunday, the motorcycle ban will be run until December 15th, by which time officials the NDC will have reached a consensus and announced its findings.
A security official in the capital, Colonel Yehya al-Akouaa, told AFP the ban aims to "prevent further attacks amid fears of an upsurge in such attacks as the national dialogue nears its end".
While the ban will certainly bring some respite as far as security is concerned, motorbike taxi drivers are likely to feel the pinch now that they’re source of income has been barred. With poverty rates having spiralled out of control over the past two years, analysts have warned that Sana’a ban could lead to serious socio-economic fallouts.
A day into the ban and already hundreds of protesters voiced their anger at the ban before the presidential palace.