Manama: Kuwait’s interior ministry has confirmed a newspaper report that it would fine heavily owners of wrongly parked vehicles and their vehicles would be impounded, starting Sunday.
“This new policy is within the provisions of Article 169 on parking vehicles away from pedestrian crossings or on sidewalks or in any area where they would be obstructing normal traffic flow or putting other motorists at risk,” the ministry said on Wednesday. Violating cars will be impounded for two months and drivers will pay 10 Kuwaiti dinars for towing the vehicle and one Kuwaiti dinar per day during the impoundment period of the vehicle, the ministry added.
Article 209 of the traffic law allows the seizure of any vehicle if it violates rules and regulations, while under Articles 208 and 210, the department is not responsible for any damage that occurs when towing the vehicles, the ministry said in a statement carried by Kuwait News Agency.
On Tuesday, a Kuwaiti daily reported that the authorities would toughen penalties against road violations in their latest move to impose a safer driving culture in the country.
Al Jareeda said that Interior Minister Shaikh Khalid Al Jarrah decided that drivers caught using mobile phones or not wearing seat belts will have their cars impounded for two months.
Cars parked on sidewalks or in no-parking areas or blocking traffic will be towed away and kept by the authorities for two months, the daily added.
A strong action against motorists is being taken by Kuwaiti authorities to improve driving conditions in the country amid pledges by officials to strictly apply a zero-tolerance policy towards anyone breaking traffic laws.
