Qatar plans to soon begin installing 54 more hi-tech traffic enforcement cameras on its arterial roads to help check increasing violation of traffic rules. Some of these devices will be radar detectors while the others will be red light cameras, since running red lights hasn’t ceased even after the new traffic law prescribes stringent action and fines, traffic officials say. The arterial C and D Ring Roads which witness major traffic regulation violations are likely to be allotted a fair number of the above planned traffic enforcement devices. Work on installing the radar detectors and red light cameras is slated to begin by the month-end, Brigadier Mohamed Abdul Raheem Marfia, from the Planning and Safety wing of the Traffic Department, told The Peninsula yesterday. He said the devices will be operational one at a time as they get installed and the work will continue into the next month. In reply to a question, Marfia said that traffic rule violations taking place on C and D Ring roads were being studied and depending on the outcome it would be decided how many enforcement devices are to be installed on these major thoroughfares. “Now, how many devices are to be installed on C Ring Road or D Ring Road would, naturally, depend on their proneness to traffic regulation violations,” said Marfia. He hinted that despite road safety awareness campaigns being launched from time to time and huge fines prescribed for running red lights the violation was still taking place. “There still are people who are jumping signals,” he said. When told about the tragic July 4 car crash on Al Khor road in which five Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) staff members lost their lives, he said this and other highways will also have radar detectors to help prevent such mishaps in future.“If we have radars on highways accidents can be prevented,” said Marfia. Highways in Al Shamal, Al Wakra, Dukhan and Al Shahaniya, among others, will also get a fair share of the planned devices, the official pointed out. He said simple radar detectors will only be monitoring speed of vehicles while red light cameras will not only monitor those running red lights but also the speed of the vehicle. Asked if all the 54 radars and red light cameras will be installed by August-end, he quipped: “As I said, the installation will begin by the end of this month and go into the next month, and as and when a device is installed it would be made operational.”

Follow us on our social media channels: @ILQlive @ILQlive @ILoveQtr ILoveQatar