JEDDAH, 16 August — The Traffic Department in Jeddah has opened six more payment centers in various parts of the city where fines can be settled for traffic violations.
They were opened after an increase in activity at counters during the summer vacation, especially after a new rule stating that the issuance of passports, recruitment visas and exit-re-entry visas would be dependent on the payment of outstanding traffic fines.
The department registered more than 90,000 violations in Jeddah each month, with an average of 3,000 daily.
Running red traffic lights, parking violations and driving in the wrong direction in one-way streets were the main offenses.
Col. Abdul Aziz Al-Obailan, Jeddah traffic director, told Arab News that the new payment centers were opened due to the tremendous rush of Saudis and expatriates trying to settle their fines.
They are situated at: the general directorate of the traffic on Sahafa Street in the Mushrefa district; Alsalama traffic office on the Madinah Road at the junction of Quraish Street; the traffic office at the MVPI Section in Bawadi; the Dallah Driving Center; the traffic office in Jowhara near the car showrooms (Haraj); and the traffic office in Waziriya, south of Jeddah.
Brig. Muhammad Al-Qahtani, assistant traffic director in Jeddah, said they have plans to open similar counters at the passport and civil status departments to help Saudis and expatriates pay the fines there instead of going to traffic department offices,” he explained.
The traffic department has already told the civil status, passports and recruitment departments to stop processing applications from traffic violators until they settle their fines.
The move has encouraged the public, especially Saudis, to pay the fines as quickly as possible. Previously, many violators left the Kingdom without paying them, causing considerable financial loss to the department.
Meanwhile, a report published by the Traffic Department in Jeddah said that out of 12,738 traffic accidents that took place in the city in June this year, 7,228 involved expatriates and 5,510 Saudis. Among them 1,700 were illiterate, the report added.
The report comes at a time when the department is planning a major traffic awareness campaign beginning Sept. 18 and continuing for three months.
