RIYADH — The Shoura Council on Monday called on the Ministry of Interior to carry out studies about introduction of alternative sanctions in place of traffic violation fines. The session, chaired by its President Sheikh Abdullah Al-Asheikh, also stressed the need for an speedy increase in granting of licenses for driving schools, especially those catering to women. The Council took its decision in this regard after reviewing the viewpoints of the Security Committee. It also called on the Ministry of Interior to rapidly develop the governance mechanisms linked with Absher. The Council underlined the significance of intensifying efforts to prevent infiltration through the southern borders of the Kingdom in order to preserve the security and safety of the homeland and its people. The Shoura called on the ministry to accelerate the process of full conversion in automation of all its internal and external transactions, as well as to speed up the implementation of its medical projects, and to upgrade the medical services of its employees in all regions of the Kingdom. The Council called for directing the General Directorate of Border Guards to coordinate quickly with the General Authority of Ports to develop typical lights for marine signals related to the safety of ships, boats and picnickers in the territorial waters and recreation regions, and update their locations on maps. In another resolution, the Shoura approved the amendment in the Law for Protecting Public Decorum. While examining the annual report of the Electricity and Co-generation Regulatory Authority, the Council called on the authority to develop an urgent plan to meet the organizational, administrative and technical reasons for the frequent power cuts in various regions of the Kingdom. It stressed the need to address the consequences of the damage sustained by these cuts by framing a fair mechanism to compensate those affected. The Council called on the Ministry to study the treatment of gas emissions from fuel used by the electricity company to reduce the negative effects on the environment and to discuss the possibility of obtaining environment friendly fuel.
