BD300,000 collected daily as traffic fine

Manama : The General Directorate of Traffic is collecting around BD300,000 as traffic fine every day, according to reports yesterday.

Details of the figure came out following a discussion in the House of Representatives on a bill to include revenues from all public establishments in the state budget. 

In the discussion, MP Jamal Dawood said, revenues, taxes and fees have always raised questions. However, the total of these non-oil revenues has been estimated to be more than BD224 million in a year, he said.

He further elaborated that 15,000 traffic offences are charged daily, and on the basis of a fine of BD20 collected per case, the total amount would BD300,000 a day. Which means, BD110 million by way of fine in an year, he said.

According to the latest data, over 600,000 new vehicles are registered each year. A fee of BD20 per registration will make another BD12 million, he said.

The income from these two traffic areas alone is tagged above BD120 million. Income from other non-oil areas when added up can easily make BD224 million in an year, he claimed. 

General Director of Traffic, Colonel Shaikh Abdulrahman bin Abdulwahab Al Khalifa said the daily traffic violations detected on a day has, however, been reduced to 15, 000 from 20, 000 earlier.