‘Drifters’ cars will be confiscated for 2 months; phone users to lose cars
Audit finds misappopriation of funds in MoE
KUWAIT CITY, Oct 20: Acting Assistant Undersecretary for Traffic Affairs in the Ministry of Interior Major General Jamal Al-Sayegh issued a circular to traffic departments and sections to refrain from confiscating the Roadworthiness Certificate of vehicles when issuing a traffic citation.
According to a source from the General Traffic Department (GTD), the department instructed its officers to confiscate only the driving licenses of violators and impound their vehicles in cases which warrant such punitive measures, not the Roadworthiness Certificate.
The source said some motorists, especially those whose vehicles belong to their sponsors, commit traffic violations which result in confiscation of the certificate but once that happens, their sponsors are unable to use the vehicles due to lack of this vital certificate.
The GTD also instructed its personnel to continue implementing traffic laws strictly to deter reckless driving by impounding vehicles for two months, particularly the motorists who put their lives and that of others in danger.
It also emphasized the need to intensify traffic campaigns on the streets and areas frequented by reckless motorists, especially during weekends. It called on parents to refrain from giving their vehicles to their teenaged children as some of them use these vehicles to go to school, affirming it will not hesitate in referring young reckless motorists to the Juvenile Court and impound their vehicles. It warned that such punishment will cause a delay in applying for driving licenses once these teenagers reach the legal age.
The Traffic Law states that it is permissible for the traffic police to impound a vehicle if the motorist is using mobile phone while driving. At the same time, the traffic police can issue another citation for not paying attention while driving to the same motorist.
Violations in MoE:
After the State Audit Bureau found out that the Ministry of Education wrongly paid a large amount to certain staff on study leaves and missions, the bureau discovered payment of salaries– more than KD 120,000 – to some employees who have been absent from work for more than one year, reports AlQabas daily.
In its report, the bureau highlighted several legal, administrative and financial violations committed by the ministry. It stressed the need to ensure that officials behind the misappropriation of funds are held accountable, while regulations of the Civil Service Commission should be implemented to take action against the concerned employees. It suggested to the ministry that the employees should return the money.
The bureau also found out that some employees were seconded to other departments outside the ministry, yet the payment of their salaries did not stop. It then criticized the ministry for failure to activate duty monitoring systems in its sectors.
Student hit by car:
A 2003-born girl sustained injuries especially on her shoulder, hands and feet when she was hit by a vehicle outside her school – Jumana Bint Al-Hassan Secondary School – in Sabah Al-Ahmad area.
When the Operations Room of Ministry of Interior received information about the incident, securitymen and paramedics rushed to the location and took the student to the nearest hospital.
The driver of the vehicle, who is a Bangladeshi national, was arrested and referred to the police station of the area.