Ministry of Interior has recently started applying fines for overtaking on the left side, changing lanes in intersections and stopping in yellow box through cameras. These offences can be caught by cameras and radars installed specially for this purpose at intersections and signals.

Department has installed speed radars every two to four kilometers on major roads, radars are installed to catch drivers who illegally overtake others from the right lane.

According to the traffic law, you can be fined up to QR1, 000 if you are found illegally overtaking a vehicle on the right.

Changing lanes at an intersection and blocking an intersection are punishable by fines of QR500 each.

Even driving a vehicle at speeds lower than mandated leading to obstruction of traffic can invite fine of QR.300.

The cameras can spot whether you are using a mobile phone while driving and if caught you can be fined QR.500

According to article 45, driving in the opposite direction to the flow of traffic is not permitted and can invite fine of up to QR.6000.

Last year cameras were set up as part of the project ‘talaa’, which aimed to activate security surveillance cameras in the streets and main roads in the country to monitor traffic violations. The project aimed to monitor all kinds of traffic violations including not fastening seat-belts, talking on the phone or texting while driving, wrong overtaking, excessive speed, violating signals and other irregularities which pose a threat to public safety on the road.

While authorities are using technology to keep an eye on violators but it seems these steps have not made any significant changes on part of behaviour of motorists.