There has been some scepticism as to whether the new traffic laws would be effective. I must admit that I started to share in the scepticism on the day the law was introduced, when as I was sitting in my car, I noticed the man besides me on his mobile phone. In front of me and to the left was a police car, and behind the police car was another man on his phone. Neither man took any notice of the police vehicle.
Other people have pointed out that there is no way that many expatriates will be able to pay fines. This could lead to people not registering their cars, as fines have to be paid before cars are registered. Other people have worried that residents will take out bank loans to pay the fines and then flee the country.
Our sceptism may have been misplaced. The Peninsula has reported today that traffic violations are down 90% since the introduction of the new traffic law. It seems that changing the law has been rather more effective than Qatar's road safety campaigns.
Qatar Visitor's 90 second guide to Driving in Qatar (podcast)
Qatar Visitor e-store (U.S.)
Qatar Visitor E-store (U.K.)
Find the best deal, compare prices and read what other travellers have to say about Qatar
Tags
Qatar Doha Middle East driving
