Manama: Kuwaiti authorities have removed the licence plates of 197 vehicles, making them undriveable, after they were found to obstruct traffic.
The action is part of the latest campaign by the authorities to address deficiencies and abuses on the roads after they gained unwanted notoriety as chaotic and dangerous in the absence of a proper driving culture and full compliance with rules and regulations.
Officials said the campaign launched on Sunday morning would target all cars that are not properly parked and obstruct or slow down traffic.
“The campaign will last a long time and will be extended to all areas of the country,” an official told Kuwaiti daily Al Rai. “We will have a zero-tolerance policy and we will not spare any public place, even hospitals and schools.”
Officers who remove the licence plates place a sticker informing the violator about where to go to follow up on the procedures.
The removal of the plates can be from one day to four months and the offender has to pay 20 Kuwaiti Dinars, the official said.
“An owner who wants to remove his car must not drive it as he would be breaking the law and must ask for assistance.”
Senior officials in Kuwait have regularly warned against the state of road traffic in the country, saying that traffic police are “at war” with reckless and irresponsible drivers.
Young drivers are particularly blamed for breaking the law, disregarding ethics and manners and being reckless about the safety of other people.
