Qatar’s RLC (Ras Laffan Industrial City) Directorate has launched a comprehensive road safety project called “Zero Tolerance.”

The objective of the programme is to support the Qatar Government’s new Road Safety Legislation by clamping down on road safety violations, which is the major cause of road accidents inside RLC.

The scheme has the support and commitment of all end-users, RasGas, Qatargas, Dolphin, Shell, Oryx GTL and Ras Laffan Power Company, said RLC officials.

This is a high visible, high-intensive campaign which is supported by RLC HSE, End-Users HSE staff as well as QP/RLC Security who carries the overall responsibility for traffic management.

In addition to the existing security traffic officers, several RLC HSE Staff have been trained and appointed as road safety marshals who are actively involved with all aspects of road safety awareness and enforcement.

RLC is reaching the peak of its construction activity with over a 130,000-strong workforce, out of which 100,000 contract labourers are currently deployed inside the city.

This figure could reach the 150,000 mark by early 2008.

RLC pioneered the Punitive Point System in 2003 with great success.

It was found that a person losing his mobility to drive a vehicle inside RLC were more that a determent than imposing a fine. Stopping an offender and issuing a violation note also helps a lot to instantly change human behavior.

The punitive point system is also well backed up by the End-Users, who on a monthly basis are provided with the names of such offenders employed at their work sites. End-Users are making it compulsory for such offenders to attend a defensive driving course.

RLC is investigating a penalty system for owners and operators of heavy construction vehicles inside the city. Currently, only the driver gets penalty for unworthy road vehicles.

RLC Security is informed by drivers that inspite of reporting the defects, the vehicle owners pay no heed to the matter and continue to run these vehicles.

RLC is in the process of installing fixed speed and traffic signal cameras to further enhance its road safety programme.

RLC Security and HSE have a number of hand held speed cameras deployed at various locations within the city boundaries.

Over the past few years RLC directorate and Stake holders have launched a number of Road Safety programs as part of its overall objective to make the city a safe place to work.

The HSE Division has also introduced a number of regulations which is only enforced in RLC. This includes the following:

* All passenger buses operating inside RLC be equipped with safety belts for each passenger

* No goods, equipments transported in a passenger carrier

* All heavy vehicles equipped with multi flaps to prevent stones from being thrown away and damaging vehicles driving behind such trucks

* All vehicles carrying concrete shoots should be covered while driving.

* All vehicles carrying flammable material to be registered, drivers to be trained and equipped to deal with flammable incidents.

* Hazardous/ Dangerous goods transportation. This requires that vehicle carrying chemical goods must display the international chemical symbol and also carry the Hazchem data sheet and emergency procedure to deal with the particular chemical.

* RLC also introduced a system where drivers could report unsafe driving or drivers that violate the Road Safety Rules and Regulations.

A comprehensive Road study has been carried out as a part of the overall RLC master development plan to ensure the effective management of Traffic Safety and flow on the short, medium, and long term.