Saher is the name of Saudi Arabia’s new project to improve traffic safety. Using the most advanced technology in the field of Intelligent Transport Systems, Saher aims to increase the efficiency of the roads, enforce the traffic laws and enhance general security in Saudi Arabia. The system will also allow live monitoring and management of vehicle traffic, make better use of the police patrol fleet, record traffic accidents in progress and electronically issue vehicle violations.
In April, the Ministry of Interior began a six-month awareness campaign about the new project. The awareness campaign will be followed with a trial period before the provisions of Saher come into full force. Part of the Ministry’s awareness campaign includes a website — www.saher.gov.sa — which contains comprehensive information about the new project. Unfortunately the information is posted only in Arabic, although a non-functioning “English” link on the site’s homepage indicates that material may be available in English in the future.
The homepage explains that Saher will cover the major metropolitan areas of Saudi Arabia. The system uses a network of digital cameras connected to the Ministry of Interior’s National Information Center. The project has several components which are to be linked to command and control centers in the eight main cities.
Within Saher, the Traffic Management System (TMS) is intended to manage the flow of traffic through road signals. It records and monitors the “Green Wave” of traffic at every junction. The TMS will enable the road signals to be controlled automatically or with manual override. It will work together with Variable Messaging Signs (VMS). This network of electronic signboards will operate via a live feed to help drivers avoid traffic jams and accidents and alert them to dangerous road conditions.
The traffic police should become more efficient with Saher, because Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) will allow the command center to know the location of every car in the police fleet. This electronic system will permit dispatchers to guide traffic police quickly to areas where their services are needed.
And it is not just the police fleet that will be monitored. Saher will be able to identify vehicle movement around Saudi Arabia through License Plate Recognition (LPR). Using an electronic system installed at the entrance and exit points of cities, LPR will allow the identification of individual vehicles flowing through these points for statistical purposes, or to detect wanted or stolen vehicles by their license plate numbers. Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) will be used within the cities to provide live monitoring of traffic flow on the main roads.
Enforcement of traffic rules will be enhanced thanks to Saher’s Law Enforcement System (LES). The system is a network of cameras combined with static/dynamic radar that detects traffic violations electronically — without any human intervention. The LES also issues the violation and it will attempt to notify the violator through electronic means. Information at www.saher.gove.sa explains the “Cycle of a Violation.”
First, the LES camera will record the violating vehicle. Next, a photograph of the violating vehicle will be sent to the violation processing center and the information about the vehicle’s owner will be retrieved from the national database. Then the violation will be issued and an attempt will be made to contact the vehicle owner through his/her registered mobile telephone number. Traffic Violations are to be paid through the SADAD payment system at local banks.
The website advises that it is essential that all citizens and residents update their contact information, including mobile number and postal address, with any one of the departments of the Ministry of Interior, including the Traffic Police, General Directorate of Passports or Bureau of Civil Affairs. This will allow the vehicle owner to be notified of any traffic violations registered against the vehicle. Fines for violations increase if they are not paid within 30 days. Consequently, it is advisable to have contact information up-to-date so a violation can either be paid or contested immediately.
The Saher website is extremely comprehensive and it is clear that every attempt has been made to explain the project in great detail. The site also provides statistics on Saudi roads, traffic violations and accidents. There is even a 160 page document to download that lists Saudi traffic rules, fines and policies. General traffic fines are from SR100 to SR900, plus possible impounding of the vehicle. There is a separate category of violations for doing stunts with vehicles, where the fines can range from SR1000 to SR2000, plus impounding or confiscation of the vehicle, and imprisonment of the driver. If the stunts were done with a rental car then the price of the vehicle must be reimbursed to the rental agency.
With the numbers of injuries and deaths constantly rising on the Saudi roads, one can only hope that the implementation of Saher will be a strong move toward diminishing the carnage.
