awaited Saher traffic monitoring system will start operation in Jeddah, Makkah and Madina Sunday. General Sulaiman Al-Ajlan, Director General of Traffic, inspected Saturday the control center in Jeddah and viewed a presentation on how the system works. In the first phase, the Saher system will detect speed violations, said Al-Ajlan. Other traffic violations, such as running a red light, will be recorded soon, he said. Speed limit signs have been installed on streets where Saher cameras have been placed. The Saher system is designed to provide a number of services: live television monitoring, automatic plate reading in certain locations, road information using electronic signs, accident detection, police patrol positioning, updating the timing of traffic lights, allowing the control center to have wider control of traffic around the city, and detecting traffic violations. Lieutenant Colonel Zaid Aal Hashim, Chief of Media and Public Relations in the Jeddah Traffic Police Department, said the Saher system is highly sophisticated. The system tracks the location of traffic patrols and directs them to deal quickly with traffic cases. Once a traffic violation is detected, it is transmitted to the Violation Processing Center which obtains information about the owner of the vehicle from the National Data Base at the National Information Center. After approval by the traffic department, the violator will be notified via a text message on his mobile phone. Motorists have the right to complain if they doubt the accuracy of the recorded violation. Saudi Arabia witnesses nine million traffic violations annually, according to a survey.
