DOHA: The General Directorate of Traffic announced an integrated traffic plan for the new academic year 2024-2025, as part of its continuous efforts to reduce traffic accidents and achieve a safe traffic environment.
Speaking to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Traffic Media Officer at the General Directorate of Traffic Lt Abdulmohsin Al Asmar Al Ruwaili said that the department has prepared an integrated plan to control traffic flow during the school year, as part of its keenness to ensure traffic safety in various areas of the country.
The plan aims to facilitate the movement of vehicles and reduce traffic congestion on main roads, around schools and the roads leading to them, by increasing patrols and traffic police, especially at intersections and around schools that experience traffic congestion, in order to ensure the safety of students and all road users, Lt Al Ruwaili explained.
He added that road traffic is also monitored through the (Tala'a) cameras that transmit a live image of vehicle movement, allowing traffic police to intervene quickly in emergency situations.
He noted that the plans developed in previous years have contributed to the accumulation of experience for the department to develop a more comprehensive plan based on statistics and traffic data, thus contributing to reducing traffic accidents.
He pointed to the coordination and cooperation between the General Directorate of Traffic and a number of entities to reach the best practices to achieve road safety; noting that this cooperation is not limited to the departments concerned within the Ministry of Interior, but extends to include all entities related to traffic affairs in the country, and continues throughout the year with the aim of implementing the best practices and standards that meet traffic safety needs.
Keeping pace with the increasing traffic flow and technological development, the General Directorate of Traffic has worked to update its fleet of patrols and motorcycles, by increasing their numbers and adopting the latest technologies that enhance monitoring, surveillance and control of traffic, Lt Al Ruwaili stressed.
He pointed out that updating electronic traffic systems concerned with monitoring traffic and providing the best solutions to address road safety challenges is one of the priorities that the department is constantly working on.
In this context, he explained that the unified radar system for monitoring seat belt violations and the use of mobile phones while driving is one of the most prominent technologies that have been added recently with the aim of reducing traffic accidents, stressing that this system has contributed to significantly reducing the number of these violations.
Lt Al Ruwaili shed light on the traffic campaigns and initiatives expected to be launched at the start of the new school year, and those related to spreading traffic awareness among school students. He indicated that the "Back to School" campaign which is organized by the department annually and continues throughout the school year, includes many awareness activities to students, school bus drivers and safety officials in schools, and attracts thousands of participants annually.
He stressed the important role of parents and guardians in establishing traffic safety requirements among their children, urging them to continuously monitor their children.
He also advised drivers to adhere to traffic laws and guidelines, and to exercise caution while driving to ensure the safety of students. He also called on school bus drivers, vehicle drivers transporting students, and school safety officials to adhere to the necessary safety procedures.
In this context, the Traffic Media Officer at the General Directorate of Traffic pointed out some traffic safety measures, including ensuring that the vehicle door is tightly closed before moving, avoiding excessive speed especially on roads near or surrounding schools, not opening the vehicle doors until it comes to a complete stop, and organizing students' getting on and off buses according to the safety procedures followed in this regard.
He also advised school bus supervisors to monitor students during their trips to and from schools and guide them towards the correct behavior that ensures their safety and the safety of their colleagues. He also stressed the importance of adhering to calm and order inside the school bus and not distracting the driver to avoid traffic accidents.