“Following the implementation of the first phase of the electronic traffic monitoring system Saher, accidents resulting in casualties have come down 11 percent compared to the pre-Saher period,” said Director General of Riyadh Traffic Brig. Abdul Rahman Al-Muqbil.
The number of traffic violations dropped to two per 100 cars this year, compared to 40 per 100 cars in the past. Al-Muqbil called these results impressive.
“Saher helps to find stolen cars and drivers that fled the scene after a traffic accident. It also detects fake number plates on vehicles,” Al-Watan daily quoted Al-Muqbil as saying.
The official said the Saudization achievement of Saher is a record. It appointed 1,078 Saudis in the first two years of its launching in the Kingdom.
“All of its employees have been appointed with the help of the Human Resources Fund, in line with the instructions of the assistant interior minister for security affairs. The employees receive salaries between SR3,800 and SR4,000 and they are covered by the general insurance system. Those who work overtime are paid extra,” he said.
Saher aims to reduce the number of accidents, organize the smooth movement of traffic and facilitate the implementation of traffic laws through automatic penalties for violations at key intersections. The fine doubles 30 days after the penalty is registered. The system depends on the data of the Ministry of Interior’s National Center for Information. It notes the car number on the plates and from the database ties the violation immediately to the owner.
The official also noted that resentment toward Saher officials has changed as the members of the public have increasingly realized the significant role Saher plays in maintaining road safety. He added that anyone who attacks Saher officials is tracked down by the police and is subject to legal action.
“When a law is implemented firmly without exemption for anyone, some negative reactions are not unexpected. Similar things happened in the United States, Europe and Australia when identical systems were implemented. But we did not expect it would affect the lives of the workers,” he said.
He added that the next phase of the traffic reforms include setting up a control system that would regulate traffic lights at intersections to increase the flow of traffic on crowded roads. The control system would be linked to a control room of the traffic administration and a smart camera would transfer voice and image data to the control room.
Outlining the functions of the advanced cameras, Al-Muqbil said they would detect any traffic congestion on a street. For instance, if the speed of vehicles falls to 30 km/h on road where the speed limit is 70 km/h the camera learns that there is an obstacle on the road and zooms in on the spot of trouble and enables an officer to take immediate action.
“Special sign posts with smart boards for message display linked to the command and control center will be installed in all traffic administrations in the Kingdom. These boards will warn a driver where there is a snag and which diversion the person should take to avoid it,” he said.
