RIYADH, 4 April 2008 — As part of an ambitious plan to improve public safety and reduce traffic congestion in Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of Interior has launched a traffic project by outsourcing local and international expertise.

The project — called Automatic Traffic Violations Administering and Monitoring (ATVAM) — is the largest of its kind in the world and will help the Kingdom reduce the number of deaths and injuries on Saudi roads by changing drivers’ behavior.

“Alesayi Group, which was awarded a contract to implement and operate ATVAM for the Kingdom’s Central Region, signed an agreement yesterday with Affiliated Computer Services Inc. (ACS) to implement the technical aspect of the project,” said Mohammed Omar Alesayi, CEO of Alesayi Communications and Space Services Company.

The General Directorate of Traffic said the program was first conceived in 2005 to provide solutions to traffic problems — especially in major Saudi cities with rapid population growth. In Riyadh alone, over 5.5 million car trips are made daily — a huge number compared to less than a million trips 20 years ago.

The General Directorate of Traffic predicts a rapid increase in the movement of vehicles and that some 15 million daily trips will be made in Riyadh by 2021. This will also decrease the average speed of vehicles from 51 kph to 20 kph.

For the purpose of implementing the project, the Kingdom has been divided into three parts — the Riyadh and Qassim provinces; the Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah areas; and Tabuk and the Eastern and Asir Provinces.

“The ATVAM program includes the installation of sophisticated photo law enforcement systems (speed cameras), traffic management and security systems across the Kingdom,” said Alesayi, adding that revenue from speeding and red light tickets will fund the project.

“As systems integrator, Alesayi’s partner ACS will manage the deployment of traffic infrastructure technology,” said Michael Huerta, ACS managing director for transportation solutions.

“Our partnership with Alesayi will enhance the Kingdom’s traffic infrastructure, resulting in improved public safety and reduced congestion,” added Huerta.

Saudi Arabia loses around SR13 billion annually because of car accidents, according to a report issued by the Traffic Department. Each year the Kingdom spends SR734 million on medical care for people involved in car accidents.