BY MAHMOOD AL-DOAAN
Al-Madina
THE metropolis of Jeddah has a population of 4.2 million plus people and more than 2 million vehicles ply its roads. These vehicles need periodic inspections to ensure their road fitness and safety.
The periodic inspections make sure that these vehicles conform to specifications for the region's climate as well as to Saudi traffic regulations. It also ensures the vehicles meet the requirements for the protection of environment. But the problem with the only Motor Vehicle Periodic Inspection (MVPI) center in Jeddah is a lack of space. The place has only a few gates to receive the huge number of vehicles coming there for inspection. In addition, the center is perennially understaffed.
The snarl-ups at the MVPI center cause traffic to spill over to the streets leading to the center. There are long lines of vehicles snaking their way from the intersection between Prince Miteb Road and Hira Street to the gates of the center.
Due to the traffic jam, vehicles move at an excruciatingly slow pace. Furthermore, the procedures for inspecting each vehicle are just too slow. There are no additional gates that could be opened to ease the bottlenecks and alleviate the traffic jams in the streets.
The Traffic Department insists that all vehicles should undergo annual inspections to make sure their parts are safe and can endure the wear and tear. This is a good move, which is absolutely essential to ensure road safety and such measures are implemented in all advanced countries of the world.
However, the bottlenecks at the entrance of the MVPI station in Jeddah are unacceptable and are enough to put off any motorist. This congestion should end. The wastage of several hours every time a motorist visits the center must also end. We hope procedures at the center would be expedited for the convenience of everyone.
The Ministry of Interior is among the most advanced ministries with regard to use of technology and providing citizens and expatriates with excellent services. The ministry has got rid of the long queues of people seeking services at its various departments. The long hours wasted to complete official transactions and the great suffering endured by the service seekers are now a thing of the past.
The ministry has saved people's time and effort by introducing modern technology into the Passport Department, Civil Affairs and Traffic Department. Most of the transactions in these sectors are now carried out online through the ministry's Absher portal. This has simplified matters and got rid of the hardships faced by the service seekers, including the long wait in front of the counters or dealing with whimsical officers who used to delay transactions giving the slightest excuse. The Ministry of Interior has saved people’s time and ended their sufferings.
We hope the company in charge of the MVPI would cooperate with Jeddah Traffic Department to raise the center's performance level. They should upgrade the facilities and infrastructure at the center and raise its readiness to receive vehicles at a faster rate. They should also find solutions that satisfy the needs of motorists.
The MVPI center should function round the clock and arrange work hours in three 8-hour shifts. Another suggestion is to have schedules with specific times for each vehicle. A system of appointments, like the one followed by the Civil Affairs Department, has to be put in place.
They can also decentralize work by setting up additional MVPI stations in Jeddah to serve the huge population spread across the width and length of the metropolis.
They can come up with more viable solutions to tackle this problem, which is bothering many people who lose work days because the long delays at the center prevent them from returning to work.
This is especially a big problem for people who have children to be picked up from schools. People have many other commitments and cannot spend a whole day at the only MVPI station in Jeddah, which is located in the north of the city.
