The Passport Department and the Traffic Department are both affiliated to the Interior Ministry which has been undergoing gigantic development in terms of its e-services. This development means that people can today get a lot of things done electronically, such as issuing or renewing a passport, and acquiring exit-entry visas for expatriate workers. There are around 10 million expatriate workers in the Kingdom who, along with Saudis, can benefit from these online services. In other words, around 30 million people benefit from the Interior Ministry's e-services.
I criticized the performance and services of the Passport Department a few years ago. At the time, the department was talking a lot about the online services it intended to provide to the general public. Services today have changed and improved on all levels, especially at airports. I would like to thank the Passport Department for its efforts to develop its services, the latest of which is the plan to issue new resident identity cards that will be valid for five years. This is a gigantic step that will dramatically reduce the number of people who need to visit the department in person.
However, if we compare the performance of this department with the Traffic Department, both of which are run by the Ministry of Interior, we see a great difference. The latter lags behind as more people are killed daily on our roads. The figures are frightening—between 21 and 24 people die on our roads every day. Many more are injured. Why is this the case? This is because drivers do not respect traffic rules and continue to run red lights and double park.
These violations happen on a daily basis amid the complete absence of traffic officers. Many violations are committed every day and there are traffic jams everywhere. I wish that the traffic officers would exert greater efforts to control and reduce violations and develop their online systems. Traffic rules must be applied to all violators. Why does the Traffic Department not use the help of the private sector to catch violators, raise awareness and organize programs for young men?
Traffic systems should make drivers think twice before violating rules. The department should impose monetary penalties, imprison violators or do both. Traffic jams and the current situation on the roads are the reasons behind the increase in violations. I do not want to say that the situation is out of the department's control. I believe it is never too late to apply the rules more strictly to anyone who violates them and acts recklessly on the road.
