Doha: The General Directorate of Traffic of the Ministry of Interior (MoI) has said that the number of vehicles in the country in 2019 rose by 67,885, bringing the total number to 1,655,704, showing an increase of 4.3 percent compared to 2018.
Sharing information during a virtual awareness seminar on Traffic Law No. 19/2007 held yesterday, traffic officials said the number of driving licences in the country also increased in 2019 by 83,722 to a total of 1,612,218, showing an increase of 5.5 percent compared to the previous year.
Capt. Mohammed Abdullah Al Kuwari, traffic awareness officer at the Department, said there is no reconciliation in some traffic crimes and the violators are referred directly to the Public Prosecution.
“Among these traffic crimes are driving a vehicle without obtaining a driving license or with a license that is not meant for that particular class of vehicle,” he said, adding that the punishment in this case is imprisonment of a minimum one month, and maximum 3 years, and/or a minimum fine of QR10,000 and maximum QR50,000.
“The punishment for repeating the same violation will be a compulsory minimum imprisonment of one week, and maximum 3 years, and a fine of minimum QR20,000 and maximum QR50,000,” he said.
The seminar aimed to raise awareness of road safety among the road users and general public, and targeted the people in-charge of transport and traffic safety in companies, establishments and schools, as well as community members.
Capt. Al Kuwari said traffic crimes that do not fall under reconciliation clause also include destroying traffic signs, or any part of it, or shifting it, or changing its content, or its information or damaging it.
The punishment in this case is imprisonment of minimum one month, and maximum 3 years and/or fine of up tp QR50,000. He said the traffic crimes that fall under reconciliation include driving an unregistered vehicle and driving a vehicle on the road without renewal of its license; the fine in both these cases can be from QR1,500 to QR3,000.
Also driving a vehicle in the opposite direction is among the traffic crimes that accept reconciliation but the fine is about QR6,000 and a deduction of 6 points.
