From next April, rash drivers on Saudi roads will have no chance of escape if a SR Two billion electronic traffic-monitoring project is completed on schedule, Saudi Gazette reported today. The General Directorate for Traffic plans to install an Intelligent Transport System (ITS) in major Saudi cities, that will electronically monitor traffic violations and synchronize traffic lights at busy crossings and roads for smooth pedestrian and vehicle movement. The project is aimed reducing traffic congestion and making the roads safer. ITS cameras monitoring traffic movement will also serve security needs. ITS will register traffic violations electronically in the National Database Center, said Brigadier General Fahd Al-Bashar, the director general for Traffic. Violating motorists will be dealt with under a points system that allows for penalties of increasing severity until suspension or cancellation of driver's license. The Shoura (consultative) Council is currently discussing the points system as part of a comprehensive review of traffic regulations. Bashar said the traffic directorate and the Ministry of Finance are inviting specialist companies to submit their tenders for the ITS project. Bids will be opened in October and the system should be installed within six months, he said. ITS is used in many cities around the world to streamline traffic flow and provide safety on the road network. The human factor is the main cause of traffic accidents is Saudi Arabia, the director general said. Seventy percent of accidents are due to speeding, jumping signals, disregard of traffic rules and overtaking. The remaining accidents are due to technical faults in vehicles and road obstacles.
