JEDDAH, 8 October 2003 — The head of the Kingdom’s traffic police, Gen. Fahd Al-Bashrana, has announced the success of a pilot program in which unmarked police cars were used to enforce traffic regulations on the Kingdom’s roads and highways.
The undercover traffic police program has been tested in Riyadh, the Eastern Province and Jeddah for the past few months.
“The pilot project was such a success that we have decided to make it full time,” Al-Bashrana said in an interview.
The announcement met with a mixed response.
“It’s a good idea if it works. If you don’t know who the police are, you will have to watch out more,” said Hisham Hafiz, 20, a student.
Muhammad Al-Shareef, 28, told Arab News: “They will be able to catch more people breaking the law. However, I don’t think that will result in any major changes in the way people drive. I know people who get 40 traffic tickets a year and simply don’t care. Most of the time they pay for the tickets and go back out and keep on driving the same way. I think a system should be put into place where if you get more than a certain number of tickets a year, your license is revoked and you are arrested if you go on driving.”
An expatriate driver said: “It’s a good idea because people only slow down when they are being watched. Using unmarked cars adds an air of threat and uncertainty. Any kind of traffic initiative wins my support.”
Saudi Arabia has the highest road fatality risk in the Middle East, three times that of Egypt.
