The Traffic and Patrols Department will look into complaints from motorists who feel there has been a mistake in penalising them during the ongoing move to enforce the traffic law.
There is a standing order from the Minister of State for Internal Affairs, H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, to check complaints from the public in this regard. People can lodge complaints at a complaints office in the traffic department’s headquarters as well as in the branch at Al Mamoura.
The traffic department and the Internal Security Force (Lekhwiya/ISF) are jointly engaged in a crackdown on traffic violations.
“It has been three years since the traffic law came into effect and people had sufficient time to understand the October 2007 law. The grace period is over and now we are running an intensive campaign to detect traffic violations in collaboration with the ISF. It comes after enormous efforts over the past few years to create traffic awareness,” said Brigadier Mohammed Saad Al Kharji, Director of the traffic department, in a radio talk show recently.
The campaign focuses on drivers jumping signals, exceeding the speed limit, using mobile phones, not using the seat belt, wrong overtaking, parking on pavements, crossing over dividers and other offences.
“Presently, the laxity in enforcing traffic law is causing chaos on the streets and this makes it difficult to control,” said Colonel Ali Salman Mohannadi, Commander of Patrols, ISF. “The commitment of motorists to the traffic law shows their culture. In the past, through similar campaigns we have been able to achieve much, and it dropped the rate of offences.”
However, there are also directives to ignore some of offences, such as parking violations in service areas, offices and mosques, if it does not block the traffic movement.
However, careless parking at hospitals obstructing the path of cars and ambulances and also parking in lots allocated for people with special needs are considered serious offences. Anyone found committing the above two offences more than twice will be summoned by the public prosecution as these are not only traffic violations but against the rights of the public.
Meanwhile, a commission is reviewing the speed limits on both internal and external roads in the city. The speed limits on some of these roads will be changed based on the decisions of the committee.
Also, the Department of Planning and Road Safety under Brigadier General Mohammad Mahrafi is looking into installation of signals at the Equestrian roundabout. A number of fatal accidents have taken place at the roundabout and the department is studying the issue and will redesign it.
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