for those driving here in kuwait

No increases on traffic violation fees: Al-Ali
illegals 300x183 No increases on traffic violation fees: Al Ali

Illegals being rounded up in Ahmadi

KUWAIT: The Ministry of Interior’s assistant undersecretary for traffic affairs and the director of the traffic directorate, Maj Gen Abdul Fattah Al-Ali denied any plans to increase the fines levied for traffic violations. “What has been going around across social networks is absolutely untrue and no official decision has been made yet,” he stressed.

Further, Al-Ali stressed that any increase in fines or revenues that go to state treasury need special laws and legislations which has to be submitted and recommended to the cabinet by the interior minister, and then passed in parliament. “This bureaucratic and executive exercise has not taken place and the MOI did not request imposing stricter penalties of the sort,” he underlined. Al-Ali also explained that his predecessor, retired Lieutenant General Mustafa Al-Za’abi, and traffic sector commanders had prepared a proposal to increase the fines for traffic violations and toughen the penalties in general. “But some of the views and suggestions were not referred to either the cabinet or the parliament,” he added.

Moreover, Al-Ali stressed that it had been decided to deport 213 expatriates for serious traffic violations committed last week such as jumping red traffic lights, driving without a valid license and using private vehicles as taxis. “Those decisions were not arbitrarily made as alleged by some people. The violators’ traffic violation records were taken into consideration and only those who had repeatedly committed the same violations in the past were deported. It is illogical that an expat driver with a record of jumping a red light ten times and using a private vehicle as a taxi for six times or driving without a valid driver’s license for seven times continues to stay put in Kuwait in total disregard of all laws,” he explained.

Al-Ali also pointed out that, according to the law, jumping traffic lights equals premeditated or attempted murder, using private vehicles as taxis constitutes a violation of labor and residency laws and driving without a license equals working without a work permit. “According to our criminal and penal laws, penalties for such violations include deportation. The law also authorizes the MOI to deport expats in public interest in case they commit repeated crimes or violations,” he added. In addition, Al-Ali highlighted that such strict measures did not only involve expats. “All motorists are equal before the law, whether they are citizens or expats,” he stressed, noting that a traffic court had recently sentenced a citizen to three months in jail for repeatedly committing serious traffic violations. “Seven juvenile citizens were also referred to prosecution for the similar crime and were released on a bail of KD 500 each, which is equivalent to indicting them,” he emphasized.