Kuwait scraps jail for traffic crimes: Offenders to clean streets, mosques

Dubai: Convicts of traffic crimes in Kuwait will now be ordered to clean mosques, sweep streets, plant trees in public parks, assist at special needs centres and hospitals, or perform other community service tasks, the Ministry of Interior announced on Sunday.

The reform replaces detention or fines with alternative penalties under a new ministerial decision issued by Sheikh Fahad Yousef Al Sabah, First Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister. The measure amends the country’s 1976 traffic law, allowing courts to impose rehabilitative sentences aimed at instilling civic responsibility.

Under the regulation, offenders may be required to repair damage caused by their violations, participate in traffic safety campaigns, work with civil defence, or help at schools, social care institutions, and public hospitals. Other tasks include arranging Qurans in mosques, documenting electricity meter data, painting pavements, removing waste from beaches, and assisting at petrol stations.

Offenders may also be tasked with distributing charity donations and food to the poor and needy. Courts can additionally order violators to attend training programmes, workshops, environmental awareness campaigns, and behavioural therapy sessions designed to address reckless driving habits.

The ministry said the initiative will be coordinated with a wide network of government entities and non-profit organisations, with the General Traffic Department overseeing implementation. The new system takes effect one month after its publication in the official gazette.