Sharjah: Police in Sharjah have referred an Asian driver to the Traffic Prosecution after he accumulated traffic fines of over a million dirhams.
He committed 132 traffic offences and accumulated a fine of Dh1.19 million, a police official said yesterday.
Major Mohammad Abdul Rahman Bin Kasmol, deputy director of Wasit police station, said the Asian driver was arrested after he committed many offences and failed to pay the fines on time.
“Most of the fines were for ‘passenger smuggling’ issued by Roads and Transport Authority in Sharjah. He committed other offences like not maintaining lane discipline and incurred some fines in other emirates,” Major Bin Kasmol said.
The driver owns a vehicle and used it as an illegal taxi and the fines registered on the vehicle amounted to Dh214,730 and the fines on his driving licence were Dh879,110. “The fine for passenger smuggling is Dh5,000 and it doubles to Dh10,000 if the driver repeats the offence and then the fines is recorded against the driver’s driving licence.”
The list of the driver’s offences includes speeding, parking in prohibited areas and lane indiscipline besides others.
“He wasn’t following traffic instructions and the fines doubled because he didn’t pay the orginal fines in time,” Major Bin Kasmol added.
According to the new traffic law, that came into effect on July 1, the driver who is using a vehicle for a purpose other than the one it is registered for, then the penalties are Dh3,000 fine and four black points.
Article 76 of the traffic law stipulates a fine of Dh3,000, 24 black points and confiscation of the vehicle for 30 days for transporting passengers without permission.
“A police patrol arrested the driver recently and he was referred to the Sharjah Traffic Prosecution to complete the investigation,” Major Bin Kasmol said.
He urged drivers to follow traffic instructions for safer roads. “The vehicle is a transportation tool not a tool to commit violations.”
