MADINA: The Traffic Department in Madina has said that drivers' tricks to evade detection by Saher speed cameras such as partially erasing number plates are not regarded in law as crimes of forgery or counterfeit. Omar Al-Nazawi, spokesman for the department, told Al-Watan Arabic daily that the offenses would continue to be pursued by the traffic police and punished with traffic violation tickets. “These practices are categorized as traffic offenses for which there are fines of between SR500 and SR900,” Al-Nazawi said. “A number of instances have been tackled in that way by traffic patrols.” Motorists in Madina have earned a reputation as being one of the most resistant populations to the introduction of speed cameras and have employed all manner of innovative ways to avoid detection, one of the simplest being by covering up a number or letter on their front registration plates using clay. Other drivers have been known to bend their registration plates partially back, paint in an extra figure, or cover up some of the digits with sticky tape. Complaints are frequently heard from the public that speed limits are not made clear to drivers and suspicions abound that the system on many thoroughfares does not match speed limits set on the ground. Teacher Bandar Al-Ahmadi told Al-Watan that many people objected to the way the speed camera system had been introduced and regards it as being used simply as a moneymaking exercise. “Lots of people want it reevaluated and want to see a clear system of operation in place to reassure them that it is there to save lives and property and reduce the accident rate, and not for any other purposes,” he said.
