Arrangements have been made by the Ministry of Transportation to launch a “Smart Transportation System” designed to track taxicabs, buses and trucks. Dr. Jubarah Al-Suraisiry, Minister of Transportation, announced the launching of the system during his visit to the Traffic Administration in Riyadh last Monday, saying “The Ministry of Transportation is not solely responsible for finding a solution to traffic jams in the Kingdom's main towns. However, we do cooperate with the relevant authorities to find ways for solving these problems.” He said that his ministry will launch the “Smart Transportation System” soon to track vehicles, pointing out that the ministry is working with the Riyadh Mayoralty, General Administration of Traffic and the Higher Commission for Development of Riyadh to solve the problem of the traffic jams and bottlenecks in all the cities and towns of the Kingdom. He said consultations are ongoing between the ministry and these bodies to put an end to traffic problems, pointing out that the ministry is working hard to find a solution to this problem in conjunction with the committee chaired by Prince Salman Bin Abdul Aziz, Emir of Riyadh, and his deputy, Prince Sattam Bin Abdul Aziz. Al-Suraisiry said that he is aware of the efforts and plans drawn up by the General Administration of Traffic in Riyadh to solve the city's traffic problems and reduce the rate of traffic accidents. The Ministry of Transportation, he said, is responsible for constructing roads in accordance with international safety specifications, as well as providing intersections on main roads to ease the flow of traffic. The human factor is responsible of 85 percent of traffic accidents, the minister said, pointing out that traffic accidents will continue at the same rate unless the public is educated and enlightened about the principles of safe driving. He indicated that the ministry has recently introduced the system of the “Roads Inspection” which employs vehicles equipped with special inspection instruments to inspect newly constructed roads to make sure that they have been constructed according to international specifications and measures. He said that the three factors directly responsible for traffic accidents are: cars, roads and motorists. During his visit to the Traffic Administration, Al-Suraisiry called on Colonel Abdul Rahman Bin Abdullah Al-Meqbl who acquainted him with the advanced technology used in the Traffic Command and Control Center which electronically monitors the flow of traffic in Riyadh.
