MPs to vote on bill to cut traffic fines

Manama : The Foreign Affairs, Defence and National Security Committee in the Council of Representatives has approved a bill to reduce traffic fines by 50 percent if paid within fifteen days of committing violations.

The 40-member council will vote on the bill during their regular weekly meeting this Tuesday in the presence of officials from the General Directorate of Traffic.

The bill, which aims to amend the current Law 23 of 2014 (Traffic Law), was submitted by independent MP Khalid Al Shaer.

In addition to the discount on the fines, the bill also seeks to extend the period granted to violators to pay the minimum fines to 45 days, instead of the 30 days mentioned in the existing law.

The current text of the article mention’s that traffic fines should be reduced by 50 pc if drivers paid them within the next seven days of committing certain violations.

The amendment comes to grant violators an extra eight days to benefit from the reduction and adds 15 days to the period granted to pay the minimum amounts.

The committee discussed the bill with the concerned officials in the General Directorate of Traffic before issuing its final decision to approve the bill.

The officials also approved the bill and expressed their support for the committee’s decision.

It’s noteworthy that the violations addressed in the bill include transporting passengers in the exterior part of the vehicle, damaging public or private property, driving a vehicle without a helmet, driving a vehicle without lights, careless driving, endangering the lives of others, posting stickers or advertisements or comments that violate public order and morals in any of the outer or inner parts of the vehicle, closing the road in front of public convoys, using dazzling lights, parking at night in dark places without turning on the lights.

They also include allowing children under the age of 10 to sit in the front seats, using the vehicle in private convoys without permission, not committing to the right lane in two-sided roads, driving under the influence of alcohol, driving a vehicle that makes noisy sounds or emits excessive exhaust smoke, using the vehicle for a purpose other than that what’s mentioned in the driver’s licence, driving a vehicle without a registration certificate, driving an unlicensed vehicle, driving a vehicle without brakes or with brakes which are unfit to use, driving a vehicle without a driving license, deliberately blocking or obstructing a road, handing a vehicle to someone who does not hold a license to drive it, racing a vehicle, using hand-held mobile phones.