Road safety budget won't suffer, says Olmert

The National Road Safety Authority budget will not be cut, and will stand at NIS 550 million ($131.7 million), Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced at Sunday's cabinet meeting.

"What we have all experienced in the past week arouses deep sorrow and we share in the families' grief," Olmert said. "Fourteen people were killed this week and over 40 were killed from the start of the month. This is something that should worry us."

In light of the past week's accidents, Olmert said that a significant part of the weekly cabinet meeting would be dedicated to the discussing the phenomenon.

Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz's aides expressed satisfaction with the decision, which came two weeks after Mofaz and Olmert clashed over a planned NIS 150 million ($35 million) budget cut.

Mofaz goal: 6% fewer accidents per year

The transportation minister briefed his colleagues on the activities taken against road accidents in 2007 and on the plan for 2008.

The program includes investments in education, infrastructure, enforcement rescuing. Mofaz stressed that the rate of improving infrastructure was very slow compared to the increase in the number of drivers and vehicles on Israel's roads, and therefore long-term planning was in order, he said.

The minister added that if the plans are implements, the goal of 6% fewer accidents per year could be reached.

Mofaz stormed out of the 2008 budget meeting after the finance minister refused to annul the cut, passing the prime minister a note saying "this is an irresponsible act and I refuse to be a part of it," before leaving.

Since the start of 2007, 281 people have been killed in road accidents.