The Central Municipal Council (CMC) yesterday issued a number of recommendations to curb traffic accidents in the Sealine area.
At its biweekly regular session, the CMC stressed that all government departments concerned should collaborate to address the issue and prevent the potential loss of lives and property there.
The council urged the Ministry of Interior (MoI) to study the possibility of setting up and heading a special committee comprising members from the relevant authorities, including CMC officials, to study accidents in the Sealine area. This should be done taking into consideration all technical, social and behavioural aspects, followed by the creation of a database of the traffic accidents that occur there and identify the reasons behind them.
The penalties for traffic violations at Sealine should be tailored to suit the targeted category of young people to make them more effective, it was pointed out.
Meanwhile, youngsters should be offered alternative means to satisfy their craving for adventure. In addition, the MoI should exercise tighter control on driving schools to make sure that the candidates’ learning process is adequate and suitable for driving on the country’s roads.
Further, the council asked the Ministry of Municipality and Environment to review the distribution of areas allotted for renting vehicles that are used for stunt driving and designate special tracks for these, in addition to limiting the overall areas allocated to these at Sealine.
The CMC hoped that the Ministry of Education and Higher Education would study the possibility of incorporating traffic awareness and ethics in its school curriculum for all educational stages while also stressing the importance of family control in this regard. Similarly, the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs (Awqaf) should lay greater emphasis on this issue during Friday sermons and other popular religious programmes, the members felt.
The Ministry of Culture and Sports should support the creation of a special track at Sealine for stunt driving and operate and supervise it in co-operation with the related entities to enhance the safety and security of youths there, they added.
Finally, the Qatar National Tourism Council should use the winter camping season to organise festivities and activities that attract and engage young people and families visiting the area and draw them away from stunt driving, according to the CMC members.
During the session, the council hosted a delegation from the MoI to brief it on the procedures of registering the national address and its importance.
