Manama: Qatar plans to set up 54 new hi-tech traffic enforcement cameras on its arterial roads to help check increasing traffic violations.
Some of the devices will be radar detectors while others will be red light cameras to tackle the jumping of red lights, a phenomenon that reportedly did not cease despite the application of stringent action and fines, traffic officials say.
The arterial C and D Ring Roads which witness major traffic regulation violations are likely to be allotted a fair number of the traffic enforcement devices, Qatari daily The Peninsula reported on Wednesday.
According to Brigadier Mohammad Abdul Raheem Marfia, from the Planning and Safety wing of the Traffic Department, work on installing the radar detectors and red light cameras is scheduled for the end of the month.
"The devices will be operational one at a time as they get installed and work will continue into the next month," he told the daily.
The official said that traffic rule violations on C and D Ring roads were being studied and a decision on the number of enforcement devices to be installed on the major thoroughfares will be made based on the outcome.
Running red lights remains a major traffic violation despite the road safety awareness campaigns launched from time to time and huge fines, he said.
Highways will also be closely monitored to help prevent tragedies. Five Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) staff members lost their lives on a July 4 car crash on Al Khor road.
"This and other highways will also have radar detectors to help prevent such mishaps. If we have radars on highways accidents can be prevented," he said.
Simple radar detectors will be monitoring the speed of vehicles, while red light cameras will monitor those running red lights as well as the speed of the vehicles, the official said.
According to 2010 figures, 226 people lost their lives in traffic accidents in Qatar.
