JEDDAH: Director of Jeddah Traffic Department Maj. Gen. Muhammad bin Hasan Al-Qahtani has assured that his department had put in place the plans it implements annually as the rainy season approaches.
These plans are based on the information and reports of the Presidency of Meteorology and Environment (PME). In an interview with Arab News reporter Nadim Al-Hamid, Al-Qahtani said the Saher System is a government project that is aimed at improving the level of traffic safety and supporting general security through the use of vehicle monitoring systems and (through) implementing modern technology in traffic management.
Sanctions determined for the violations of removing, replacing or hiding car license plates include a five-day car impoundment and a fine of at least SR 500.
In 2012, 1,616,699 traffic violations were registered. Most of them were registered for speed, red light running, driving in the opposite direction, changing lanes without alerting other motorists, ignoring priority at intersections and roundabouts, not wearing the safety belt, talking on the cell phone while driving and heavy window and windshield tinting.
He said procedures at his department are completed quickly and they are all now linked electronically.
The interview:
We are approaching the rainy season in Jeddah. What are the measures your department has taken to deal with it?
As done every year, the department has put in place the plans and programs in preparation for rainfall using the reports and information from the PME. Manpower of officers and privates, equipped with vehicles, were deployed; increased number of patrols and undercover patrols are deployed to control traffic during rainfall.
The patrols will be assisting and directing drivers to get to alternative and safer routes when the amount of water gets high in roads. Traffic officials will lead them to alternative roads. The department has coordinated with other relevant government agencies on this issue of warning people and lead them to safe routes. We advise our brothers, citizens and expatriates, to stay at home during rainfall and avoid leaving it unnecessarily.
Saher System cameras are sometimes vandalized. What are the procedures you have taken to prevent such acts?
Traffic patrols are constantly monitoring the cameras. Cameras installed on highways were not vandalized or stolen. Such vandalism is not a phenomenon but there were some individual cases that were dealt with by relevant authorities at the time.
This government project (Saher System) has several advantages such as the continuation of traffic monitoring, accuracy, comprehensiveness, continuation of violation detection and the ability of live traffic movement observation. It is a well-known that fatal accidents occur due to irresponsible driving and lack of commitment to traffic laws. After implementing Saher, drivers’ behaviors changed and speed violations dropped.
Many Jeddah young drivers manage to hide the numbers on their car plates to avoid capturing the numbers by Saher cameras when committing a violation. What are the procedures implemented to curb such circumvention?
The lack of awareness in some young people is a problem that causes them to commit violations like hiding or removing plate numbers. Such irresponsibility causes accidents, therefore, official and undercover patrols are strictly detecting such violations. In 2012, 5,313 violations related to obstructing photo capture of plate number car license plate number were registered, and according to Article 68 of the Traffic Regulation, violating vehicles are impounded for five days and a fine of SR 500 in minimum is imposed.”
How many driving licenses your department issued during 2012?
It issued 80,827 new (not renewal of expired ones) driving licenses of different classes including 68,985 private licenses, 2,073 general licenses to taxi drivers for Saudis and 4,687 for expatriates, 92 heavy vehicles driving licenses, 1,280 motorcycle driving licenses, 3,710 temporary licenses (called Tasreeh).
The department renewed 116,381 licenses in the same period. They include 106,548 private ones, 2,851 general for Saudis and 6,737 for expatriates, 12 heavy vehicles driving licenses and 233 motorcycle driving licenses.
Some Jeddah drivers complain about some traffic officers’ treatment (they complain some officers are moody and treat them badly.) What do you say about it?
The department constantly introduces training courses to all its field agents who deal with the people directly. The courses involve ways to deal with violators. The officers have the experience and clear instructions
Many people completing procedures at Jeddah Traffic Department complain about slow process and routine. What do you say about it?
All procedures are processed in minutes because they are computerized.
The absence of traffic lights in some areas in Jeddah cause congestion. What did your department do to solve this?
Actually having a lot of traffic lights in some areas in the city would worsen traffic congestions.
Traffic lights were removed from the following locations: Prince Majed Road intersections with Rabita Islamiya Street, Al Tadamun Al Arabi Street and Bani Malik Street; Palestine Road-Sahafa Street intersection; Al Hamra Street-Andalus Street intersection; King Fahd Road intersections with Palestine Road, Baladiya Street and Thunnorain Street.
