Video screengrab of the motorcycles seized by the Traffic Department
Doha, Qatar: The General Directorate of Traffic has seized 1,198 motorbikes for violating traffic safety rules. This came during a traffic campaign organised by the Department to ensure bikers adhere to safety and security requirements.
In a video posted on X platform of the Ministry of Interior, the Department asked bikers to comply with the traffic rules and regulations strictly for their safety and others.
Meanwhile, the National Traffic Safety Committee (NTSC) with the support of its 16 partners has implemented 200 action plans to reduce traffic accidents during the last ten years.
“About 160 action plans have been implemented by Public Works Authority (Ashghal) and the General Directorate of Traffic and Ministry of Public Health, which achieved the highest success rate according to international standards,” said Secretary of the National Traffic Safety Committee (NTSC) Brigadier Mohammed Abdullah Al Maliki.
Speaking to Qatar Radio, he said that the future vision of the strategy is to complete the traffic safety journey by 2030.
“The National Traffic Safety Committee was established at the Ministry of Interior with the participation of 16 partners, experts and authorities concerned with traffic safety,” said Al Maliki.
He said that many traffic awareness campaigns have been implemented from the beginning under the strategy to keep pace with global road safety strategies and achieve the goal of reducing the number of accidents, deaths, and serious injuries.
“Six committees were set up with the participation of international consultants to develop a strategy consistent with Qatar’s environment,” said Al Maliki.
A traffic campaign led to the seizure of over 1,000 motorcycles, announced the Ministry of Interior.
— The Peninsula Qatar (@PeninsulaQatar) October 17, 2023
Read here: https://t.co/djUKmd8dqK#Qatar #Doha #TrafficViolation pic.twitter.com/aY9tZnCLOX
He said that a 10-year plan was developed which was divided into two parts. “The first five years aimed to reduce the number of accidents and deaths, as 2007 was one of the worst years that witnessed an increase in deaths, and the goal was to reduce deaths,” said Al Maliki.
In the second five years, he said 200 action plans were developed and assigned to 16 government agencies, and with the continuity and success of the plans, they led to achieving the goal before the completion of the ten years.
“With the testimony of the United Nations and work teams, the country has achieved excellence in reducing the rate of accidents, and in 2015 Qatar became a member of the United Nations Traffic Safety Working Group,” said Al Maliki.
After the country gained impressive success in hosting the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, he said, a complete plan was developed for all parties for road safety to serve the World Cup stadiums, the metro, and the transportation network.
The most prominent project of the National Traffic Safety Committee is the establishment of a specialised institute for traffic safety that prepares training and awareness programmes for those concerned with traffic safety.
This is in addition to improving the level of road safety and developing it according to the latest standards achieved by road technology and engineering.
The Committee is spreading traffic culture among members of society and urging them to assume their social responsibility and work to raise the level of emergency and rescue medical services and reduce road accidents.
The Road Safety Action Plan provides the link between the Road Safety Strategy, vision and targets and translates these into a series of practical initiatives that aim to raise road safety performance in Qatar to be among the best in the world.
The strategy requires Qatar to fundamentally change the way that it approaches road safety, with the community working collaboratively across all elements of the road transport system and recognizing that everybody has a role to play in improving road safety.
The National Road Safety Strategy and Action Plan are guided by a long-term vision for road safety in Qatar supported by challenging but achievable 10-year targets.
