Owners of handheld devices such as iPhones, BlackBerries and other smart phones can now download a free application called Trapster that warns drivers of speed cameras and provides figures about how many Trapster users have been flashed for speeding or running red lights at particular points. The program is gaining widespread popularity among drivers and operates through users’ GPS and Internet data.
“This application is popular all over the world … It warns drivers of speed cameras and red light cameras. Although it's widely used abroad, it's was never used in the Kingdom until Saher came,” said Khaled Al-Saqry, a Saudi mobile phone seller.
“The application is highly ranked among the youth who download it on their phones. Downloading this application is free and can be done via its website, but most people don’t know how to do that. They visit us, specially asking for it. We charge customers an average SR100 to download the application. Some shops are charging customers even more like SR250,” he added.
“In the past, the youth were attacking Saher cameras. Now they’ve become aware of how to avoid the cameras in a smart way,” he said.
Mohanned Ali, a mobile seller who installs the program on people’s phones for SR200, said people do not know how to download it and so come to him to install it on their phones. “They are willing to pay huge amounts to avoid paying traffic fines. Some say that they prefer to pay us the overpriced cost to download the application than pay speeding fines. The application works perfect and it warns them in advance to slow down before they get caught. It gives them the chance to speed when the road is not monitored by Saher,” said Ali.
Abdulaziz Al-Otaibi, a young Saudi student who likes to drive fast, said the application is useful in avoiding Saher, even if it cost him SR500 to download. “My aim is to defeat Saher regardless of the amount of money that mobile shops ask for. We feel like mice in the Saher trap,” said Al-Otaibi.
Naser Al-Mesfer, another young Saudi who was caught by Saher cameras several times and cannot pay the fines, said, “I hope this application will help me avoid the cameras. I’ve accumulated SR3,500 worth of fines since Saher came. I struggle to drive slowly and don’t know where the cameras are. How can I focus on both driving and watching out for cameras at the same time?”
According to some mobile phone sellers, some youths have started to exchange their old mobiles with up-to-date ones that can operate Trapster. “We’ve received a large number of youth who are looking to change their old phones for ones that can operate Trapster,” said Al-Saqry, adding that he is unsure whether the program will help reduce the number of accidents.
