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Tribune News Network
Doha
Starting from August 1, pedestrians found violating traffic rules will be slapped fines of up to QR500 depending on the types of offence.
This was announced during a seminar organised by the General Directorate of Traffic in cooperation with the Public Relations Department of the Ministry of Interior (MoI), on the rights and responsibilities of pedestrians on Sunday.
There will be three types of penalties for traffic violations by pedestrians. A fine of QR100 will be slapped if pedestrians are found to be walking in the middle of the carriageway and not using pavements (sidewalk) where available or not using the far edge of carriageway opposite to the direction of driving in the absence of pavements.
A fine of QR200 will be slapped if the pedestrians are found not taking required precautions or not using designated crossing areas to cross the road.
Pedestrians will face a fine of QR500 if they don’t follow traffic signals while crossing the road at the intersection and while traffic police allow vehicles to move or break through military parades and processions.
Speakers at the seminar highlighted the importance of educating pedestrians on the safe use of streets and roads.
Lieutenant-Colonel Jaber Mohammed Odeiba, Assistant Director of Traffic Awareness Department, said, “This seminar is held to clarify the rights and responsibilities of pedestrians, who represent a large proportion of road users that may exceed the number of drivers.”
He said, “Pedestrians should use crosswalks or footbridges to cross the road while motorists are obliged to respect rights of the pedestrians to cross safely even in the absence of a traffic signal and in the internal roads.”
“The General Directorate of Traffic, in partnership with the Public Relations Department, will raise public awareness on the responsibilities of the pedestrians and their rights under the traffic law. This is the main objective of the Ministry of the Interior before moving early next month to register violations against their ID numbers in case of a violation.”
First-Lieutenant Abdul Rahman al Aawi, an officer at Traffic Studies and Research Department, said despite the decline in pedestrian accidents in 2018, there are a number of recommendations that must be taken into account to achieve the objective of reducing pedestrian accidents.
“These include need for more pedestrian crossings, construction of traffic barriers and guardrails in the median of the main streets and highways to prevent pedestrians from crossing from undesignated areas, the planning of footpaths, placing light signals on intersections, as well as ground reflectors,” he said, adding that such steps should also include increasing the width of sidewalks in roads crowded with pedestrians and putting iron barriers in places other than those designated for pedestrian crossing.
He also highlighted the importance of increasing cooperation among the stakeholders in order to spread traffic awareness and placing signboards to remind pedestrians of the violation of the wrong crossing.
Captain Abdul Wahid al Anzi form Traffic Awareness section said the safety drive aimed at educating pedestrians will be carried out in several languages such as Arabic, English, Urdu, Hindi, Nepalese and Malayalam.
Local media, social media, field awareness activities and seminars will be part of the campaign, he added.
Doha
Starting from August 1, pedestrians found violating traffic rules will be slapped fines of up to QR500 depending on the types of offence.
This was announced during a seminar organised by the General Directorate of Traffic in cooperation with the Public Relations Department of the Ministry of Interior (MoI), on the rights and responsibilities of pedestrians on Sunday.
There will be three types of penalties for traffic violations by pedestrians. A fine of QR100 will be slapped if pedestrians are found to be walking in the middle of the carriageway and not using pavements (sidewalk) where available or not using the far edge of carriageway opposite to the direction of driving in the absence of pavements.
A fine of QR200 will be slapped if the pedestrians are found not taking required precautions or not using designated crossing areas to cross the road.
Pedestrians will face a fine of QR500 if they don’t follow traffic signals while crossing the road at the intersection and while traffic police allow vehicles to move or break through military parades and processions.
Speakers at the seminar highlighted the importance of educating pedestrians on the safe use of streets and roads.
Lieutenant-Colonel Jaber Mohammed Odeiba, Assistant Director of Traffic Awareness Department, said, “This seminar is held to clarify the rights and responsibilities of pedestrians, who represent a large proportion of road users that may exceed the number of drivers.”
He said, “Pedestrians should use crosswalks or footbridges to cross the road while motorists are obliged to respect rights of the pedestrians to cross safely even in the absence of a traffic signal and in the internal roads.”
“The General Directorate of Traffic, in partnership with the Public Relations Department, will raise public awareness on the responsibilities of the pedestrians and their rights under the traffic law. This is the main objective of the Ministry of the Interior before moving early next month to register violations against their ID numbers in case of a violation.”
First-Lieutenant Abdul Rahman al Aawi, an officer at Traffic Studies and Research Department, said despite the decline in pedestrian accidents in 2018, there are a number of recommendations that must be taken into account to achieve the objective of reducing pedestrian accidents.
“These include need for more pedestrian crossings, construction of traffic barriers and guardrails in the median of the main streets and highways to prevent pedestrians from crossing from undesignated areas, the planning of footpaths, placing light signals on intersections, as well as ground reflectors,” he said, adding that such steps should also include increasing the width of sidewalks in roads crowded with pedestrians and putting iron barriers in places other than those designated for pedestrian crossing.
He also highlighted the importance of increasing cooperation among the stakeholders in order to spread traffic awareness and placing signboards to remind pedestrians of the violation of the wrong crossing.
Captain Abdul Wahid al Anzi form Traffic Awareness section said the safety drive aimed at educating pedestrians will be carried out in several languages such as Arabic, English, Urdu, Hindi, Nepalese and Malayalam.
Local media, social media, field awareness activities and seminars will be part of the campaign, he added.
