It is difficult to imagine but the state of the roads in Saudi Arabia may be about to change irrevocably as the much-anticipated Saher traffic monitoring system went online Sunday in Jeddah, Makkah and Madina. There will no doubt be a learning curve on all sides of this new system, but the steepest curve is likely to come on the part of motorists who must quickly realize that, with or without swirling red lights and sirens, their traffic transgressions will come back to haunt them. No longer will the driver of a speeding vehicle weaving in and out of traffic along Madina Road be able to do so with impunity. The first phase of the new system will detect speed violations, and alleged violators will receive a text message on their cell phones informing them of the citation. The new technology can read license plates and although there is an appeal process, the end result will be a lot of local motorists taking their lumps. It's about time. The Kingdom's cities have grown at steep rates. Modernization and prosperity have made cars essential tools for social and business life, and we have struggled to implant a solid infrastructure with the flexibility to handle changing situations. Saher should go a long way in changing that as it will allow authorities to control the flow of traffic largely from a central point. It can direct traffic patrols far more efficiently than is presently possible, provide video images of road locations, update traffic lights and ultimately much more. As the population slowly migrates toward our cities, the population must be made to understand that the roads are not lawless. Unfortunately, coercion is the only way to get that message through to the driving public. Saher, as long as its citations are enforced and violators made to pay their fines, will go a long way in doing that. __
