No mechanism to enforce traffic fines on vehicles with Gulf plates

DAMMAM — The current traffic system does not issue tickets for traffic violations by vehicles from neighboring Gulf countries, leaving a huge number of cars with Gulf plates that entered Saudi Arabia from Jan. 1 until July with no records. Over 230 million vehicles entered the Kingdom during the period, in addition to more than 900,000 trucks, according to spokesman for the Saudi Customs Authority Eisa Al-Eisa. All drivers of cars with Gulf plates cannot be obliged to pay fines for traffic violations registered in the Kingdom. The Gulf traffic link, initiated in 2011, has not yet been implemented, and is only now in its final stages of implementation. Although traffic violations by drivers from other Gulf countries are monitored and recorded, there is no system or mechanism that makes payment of fines mandatory for drivers of violating vehicles. Many drivers from Gulf countries are aware of this and ignore traffic regulations by exceeding statutory speed limits and running red lights. Once the Gulf link for traffic offenses becomes active, drivers will be required to pay fines with retrospective effect.