A major hi-tech overhaul of the traffic directorate is on the way in Bahrain.

Ambitious plans will streamline work procedures and optimise performance, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

“We are planning to cancel paperwork and go hi-tech as part of efforts to streamline measures and promote paperless transactions,” General Directorate of Traffic director general Shaikh Nasser bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa said.

The new paperless mechanism will be enforced particularly on traffic violations and accident reports.

Under the new procedure reports of road crashes and other driving offences will be drafted on-site and sent within three minutes, down from three days at present.

“Traffic police send details of the accident and other violations online to the department concerned which filters the data and issues the final report immediately,” Shaikh Nasser said.

The directorate is planning to cancel cash transactions within a few months, as fees and fines would be paid online.

“We have launched online payment transactions but they remain optional, which encourages people to pay in cash,” he said.

Cash transactions take an average of six hours, while online payment procedures take only half an hour and ensure more accuracy. Online payment using credit cards will become compulsory within a few months and cash transactions will not then be accepted or processed.

“The online payment project is ready but its enforcement is awaiting the approval of the Central Bank of Bahrain and Finance Ministry,” said Shaikh Nasser, pointing out that traffic offices would open in shopping malls across Bahrain.

However, elderly drivers would still have to report personally to the directorate to enjoy the 50 per cent reduction on issuing driving licences and car registration once they produce their smartcards.

He stressed the importance of the decision to allow private companies to teach driving due to acute shortage of instructors and huge demand.

“We have discussed the issue with instructors and set regulations for companies wishing to enter this sector,” Gen Shaikh Nasser said, adding Bahrain needs more than one company to allow competition.

He said instructors were given a two-month grace period to replace their manual cars with automatic vehicles, pointing out that they themselves requested just one month to comply with the new measure.

Shaikh Nasser vowed zero tolerance against drivers who shade their car windows or tamper with the original tyres. He said the new traffic law has proved efficient so far, tangibly reducing the number of fatal accidents.

He urged violators to pay their fines online within one week using the smartphone application to enjoy a 50 per cent reduction. - TradeArabia News Service