KUWAIT CITY, July 20: The General Traffic Department said since the issuance of the decision by the Ministry of Interior not to allow Gulf-registered vehicles to leave the country without paying traffic fines, the GTD is said to have collected nearly 38 thousand dinars since the implementation of the decision two weeks ago, reports Al- Jarida daily.

The daily added, 21 GCC citizens were barred from leaving the country and told to check with the Department of Violations Investigation of the General Traffic Department and that until outstanding fines imposed against them are paid, they are not allowed to leave the country with their vehicles. The sources said that the decision to collect traffic violations issued by the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Sheikh Talal Al-Khaled, was implemented two weeks ago under the supervision of the Director-General of the General Traffic Department, Major General Youssef Al-Khada following the establishment of the automatic link between the General Administration of Information Systems and the General Administration of Traffic of the Ministry of Interior and the General Administration of Customs.

The daily added, the customs officials at the border crossings do not allow any vehicle to leave except after paying the fines, pointing out that this decision is one of the most important traffic decisions issued during the recent period after the State Treasury, had earlier dropped fines because of the failure to collect them from vehicles which had already left the country.

The sources added Major General Al-Khadda has ordered the establishment of sections to collect traffic fines at the border crossing points around the clock. On the other hand, the security and traffic campaigns carried out by the traffic departments in the six governorates during the past week resulted in issuing 35,000 traffic violations, arresting 46 reckless motorists, referring 64 vehicles and 54 motorcycles to the ministry garage, and referring 31 juveniles to the Juvenile Prosecution, after they were caught driving vehicles without driving licenses.