Since its launch earlier this year, many vehicles carrying speed cameras have been attacked by members of the public who feel the fines are extortionate. According to police, the situation is so bad that many officers joke that the Saher monitoring system is in need of surveillance itself.
The first of these attacks happened in Buraidah on Sept. 24 when an iron rod was thrown at a Saher vehicle from a speeding car. The rod broke the windshield, damaging cameras and other equipment inside.
In another incident in Madinah, a young Saudi, bitter after having been fined a number of times, stood along the city’s Prince Naif Street waving a stick at passing motorists to warn them that a Saher vehicle was parked up ahead.
As a result, other young Saudis joined in and lined their cars close to the Saher vehicle with their hazard lights on to warn motorists.
Many young men use their BlackBerries to inform friends and acquaintances about the location of Saher vehicles in their respective cities.
“Saher cameras no longer surprise us. We know where they are and so avoid them or foil their work,” said a young Saudi who asked for his name not to be published.
Opponents of the system believe the new traffic monitoring system is simply a money-making scheme targeting both Saudis and non-Saudis. “Under this system, you can be issued two tickets for the same traffic violation,” said one young Saudi. “If you’re speeding on a road, then you could get flashed twice at two different parts. This would then result in two separate fines. If you’re not wearing your seatbelt on a single road then you could again be flashed more than once for the same violation. You wouldn’t even know about it until you get a text message,” he added.
The most recent attack against a Saher vehicle happened on Saturday in Makkah when five men, three of them dressed in military uniforms, assaulted two Saher operators.
“The two men were taken to hospital and a search was launched for the culprits,” said Maj. Abdul Mohsen Al-Maiman, spokesman for Makkah police, adding that the company operating the vehicles has asked the police for round-the-clock protection for its vehicles and cameras.
