Sharp decline in Sharjah traffic fines as public transport improves

Sharjah: Sharjah Transport officials on Monday said there has been a sharp decline in traffic fines, adding that illegal transport of passengers remains the most common violation.

Sharjah Transport Head of Fines Mohammad Abdullah Al Buraimi told Gulf News that traffic fines had decreased by 24.2 per cent in the first six months of 2010, compared to the same time last year.

"Last year we issued 2,413 fines while this year we issued 1,829 fines," Al Buraimi said. "The highest number of fines issued was against private vehicles and rental buses that transported passengers illegally."

The recent, six-monthly report, said the second quarter of 2010 saw a total of 911 fines, which was a drop of 7.13 per cent compared to the first quarter that saw 981 fines.

Permits

However, the number of fines during the second quarter of 2010 was a 25.7 per cent drop compared to the same period in 2009, when 1,226 fines were issued.

"The majority of fines were imposed on transport companies which did not obtain the necessary permits," Al Buraimi said. "We have exerted all our efforts to reduce illegal passenger transport through carrying out an awareness campaign and increasing the fleet of public buses between Sharjah and other cities."

He also advised people not to use illegal private transport since the vehicles did not meet safety requirements set by Sharjah Transport.

Meanwhile, car rental companies can now either register for six months or one year. All permits can be renewed.