KUWAIT CITY, April 7: The General Traffic Department will hold a press conference on Wednesday at its Traffic Operations headquarters in South Al-Sabahiya, in the presence of the Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior for Traffic and Operations Affairs, Major General Yousef Al-Khudda, the Director General of the General Traffic Department, Brigadier Jamal Al-Foudari, and the Assistant Director Generals of the General Traffic Department.

The press conference will be held under the slogan "Driving without a Phone." The press conference will include a presentation of department statistics and a detailed explanation of the new traffic law, which will be implemented on the 22nd of this month, as well as the penalties and fines for traffic violations under the new law. It will also feature a comparison between traffic statistics for last year and this year, as well as statistics on modern surveillance cameras and the extent of road users' compliance following the announcement of the new traffic law.

The Traffic Department will be holding a mini-awareness exhibition at Al Khiran Mall coming Thursday and Friday evenings, during which it will open blocks for serious traffic violations. This comes in celebration of Unified Gulf Traffic Week, in addition to some events hosted by the Traffic Awareness Department for the public. Traffic Week activities will kick off on Sunday at The Avenues Mall, in the presence of the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior and security leaders. The event will feature a variety of activities, including the opening of an awareness exhibition at The Avenues Mall, as well as lectures and field visits to several government entities.

In celebration of Unified Gulf Traffic Week, the Traffic Department will host a mini-awareness exhibition at Al Khiran Mall on Thursday and Friday evenings. The event will feature interactive blocks showcasing serious traffic violations and their consequences.

Further activities will commence on Sunday at The Avenues Mall, with the presence of the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior and senior security officials. The opening ceremony will include an awareness exhibition, educational lectures, and field visits to various government institutions as part of ongoing efforts to promote road safety.

Meanwhile, the General Traffic Department at the Interior Ministry is conducting field awareness campaigns to inform motorists about the new Traffic Law penalties that will take effect on April 22. The department disclosed that violations stipulated in Article 33 (bis) will result in KD150 fine. These violations include running a red light, reckless driving, endangering lives or properties, racing without a permit, performing stunts on the road, driving beyond the speed limit, driving auto-terrain vehicles (ATVs) or bicycles in undesignated areas, driving against traffic, driving an unlicensed or unregistered vehicle, using altered or fake license plates, transporting passengers without a permit, parking in spaces designated for those with disabilities, and obstructing traffic without a permit. Repeat offenders under Article 33 (bis) may face imprisonment for up to three years and a fine of up to KD1,000. In a related development, the department continued its traffic and security campaigns in different governorates over the past week. These campaigns resulted in the arrest of 15 individuals proven to have violated the Residency Law, and 21 others who committed various crimes and evaded arrest.A security source informed the newspaper that while issuing traffic violation citations last week, the traffic officers apprehended the Residency Law violators. The source affirmed all those arrested were referred to the competent authorities to take the necessary measures against them, and then deport them.

By Munif Naif
Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff