Dubai: A Dubai Police initiative, where motorists get discounts on accumulated traffic fines, could expand to all the emirates of the UAE, an official said on Thursday.
The scheme introduced on February 6 this year allows drivers who don’t commit offences for three months to get a 25 per cent discount on earlier fines, a 50 per cent discount if they go six months without reoffending, 75 per cent if they go nine months and 100 per cent if they manage a whole year without breaking rules.
Major General Mohammad Saif Al Zafein, director of the UAE Federal Traffic Council and Assistant Commander-in-chief of Operations, said the initiative will be presented to the council who will decide on whether to adopt it nationally.
“After one year of the initiative [February 2020], the council will discuss and if results were successful then we will recommend it to the Ministry of Interior in a step to approve it throughout the entire UAE,” said Al Zafein in a press conference at Dubai Police Officer’s Club.
It is up to the Ministry of Interior to decide whether to adopt the Dubai initiative nationally or not however.
“The results so far were impressive as the initiative reduced the number of deaths on Dubai’s roads by 15 per cent this year,” said Al Zafein, who also added that 23 people had died since the initiative launched in February of this year compared to 27 over the same period last year.
23
people killed in traffic accidents so far this yearIf not for the Omani bus accident in June, which killed 17 people, he said statistics would have been more impressive.
“The bus accident increased the number of deaths,” he said. “It was an exceptional accident as 17 people died, which increased the number of deaths in Dubai. If we take out the bus accident from the statistics, then the initiative reduced the number of deaths by 77 per cent rather than 15 per cent,” said Al Zafein.
Meanwhile, Dubai Police said that a total of 425,371 drivers benefitted from the 50 per cent discount on their accumulated traffic fines, amounting to 25 per cent of Dubai’s drivers. The issuing of traffic fines also dropped by 2 per cent since the initiative was launched, compared to last year.
Colonel Jumaa Bin Suwaidan, Acting Director of Dubai Police’s Traffic Department, said that Indian drivers were the biggest beneficiaries of the initiative. Statistics show there were 95,866 Indian drivers who benefitted from the 50 per cent discount. Emiratis came second with 67,235 and Egyptians came third with 16,833 people.
425,371
people have benifitted from discounts in paying traffic fines in Dubai“The initiative helped drivers get discounts on their traffic fines,” said Bin Suwaidan. “Drivers will have a stronger motivation to follow traffic rules in order to get the discount. Motorists who did not commit traffic offences for 12 months, starting February 6, could get a 100 per cent discount on their accumulated traffic fines,” he added.
Bin Suwaidan said there had also been economic benefits.
“The initiative reduced the costs on other government bodies as less accidents means less damage to property,” he said.
Register your car without paying traffic fines
Drivers can register their cars during the initiative without paying their Dubai traffic fines.
However, drivers need to pay their fines in other emirates.
The 100 per cent discount applies to all vehicles registered in Dubai, on condition that the driver abides by traffic laws and regulations and does not commit any violations for a full calendar year starting February 6.
Parking and Salik fines, however, are not included in the initiative as they are not traffic offences.
The discount will apply to the seizure of vehicles and traffic points too.
In numbers:
■ 23 people died this year compared to 27 at the same time in 2018
■ 32 people were seriously injured compared to 37 in 2018.
■ 425,371 people benifited the discount.
■ 340,112 offenders were male drivers.
■ 85,259 offenders were female drivers.
