By Sidi Mohamed
DOHA: A mini-driving school where those keen to learn driving and take tests of their driving skills will be a major highlight of the 32nd GCC Traffic Week that kicks off from tomorrow.
People will be shown how to drive safely and then they could take tests of their skills during a novel training programme.
The venue of the ‘Traffic Week’ activities will be Darb Al Sai in Al Sadd. The event will be formally inaugurated at 6.30pm tomorrow.
The mini-driving school will be set up as part of the Week’s activities by Dalah Driving School, it was announced late last week.
Several symposiums on road safety and the need to raise awareness about road safety will be held as part of the Week.
Symposiums will also focus on the role of the new social media in raising traffic awareness. The fact that our youth are the nation’s wealth will also be highlighted at the seminars.
In short, the focus will be on raising road safety awareness. Another highlight will be large presence of school children on all the seven days and focus will be on raising awareness about road safety and safe driving among them.
The activities will be held from 8 in the morning until 12 noon and again, from 4pm until 10pm during the Traffic Week.
Theatrical plays will also be held to raise awareness about traffic safety, senior officials from the Traffic Department, which is organizing the Week, said.
They told a news conference here on Thursday that the Traffic Week will provide an opportunity for traffic officials from all GCC countries to exchange their views and experiences.
“Such interactions are very important,” said Brigadier Mohamed Saad Al Kharji, Director of the Traffic Department. “We want to urge people to be careful while driving and raise the level of road safety.”
With him at the press briefing was Mohamed Radi Al Hajri, chief of traffic awareness section of the Traffic Department.
He told reporters that the death toll in road accidents fell last year (2015) which was a good sign and a result of rising road safety awareness. He, however, didn’t cite figures.
He said the figures had been finalized and were with the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics and only they are authorized to release the figures.
Both Al Kharji and Al Hajri maintained that experience shows that with rising awareness about road safety, there is a reduction in road accidents and death and injuries.
According to the officials, more than 60 government departments, agencies and ministries, semi-government bodies as well as private companies will be taking part in the GCC Traffic Week.
The Peninsula
