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Stiff penalty for Sharjah traffic offenders

Motorists who talk on the phone while driving and those who don’t buckle up, beware! They will be penalised as per the new traffic laws launched by the Sharjah police.

The same rule applies to parents who allow their less-than-10-year old children to sit in the front seat.

Sharjah police have launched a year-long traffic campaign to reduce the number of accidents and accident-related deaths in the city, a senior police official announced.

Addressing a press conference, Colonel Mohammad Eid Al Madhloum, Head of Operations Control Room at Sharjah Police, said that in line with the launch of the campaign, the police had formed a committee to control the traffic movement in the city in cooperation with Anjad traffic patrol and the Traffic and Licensing Department.

During the press conference, Col Al Madhloum announced that another committee has been formed, whose responsibility would be to provide detailed reports to the Directorate of Public Works in Sharjah on which roads need to be maintained and repaired.

“The committee will also supervise the new campaign that aims at curbing traffic violations, which will be carried out by stopping motorists who do not wear a seat belt, who have children less than 10 years old sitting in the front seat, and those who talk on the mobile phone without a hands-free set,” explained Col Madhloum.

It also aims at curbing car racing on the roads, which usually tends to increase during the winter months.

According to reports, the police had received a lot of complaints drivers racing cars. There are 350 accidents both major and minor and 1,000 traffic violations on an average per day.

There will also be an awareness campaign on how children have to be seated in vehicles. Pamphlets will be distributed on this. Reckless drivers will have their vehicles impounded and fines will be slapped on jaywalkers.

According to the police, run-over accidents are concentrated in the industrial areas due to lack of traffic awareness by workers who live in the areas.

afkarali@khaleejtimes.com

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