Constitutional Unity Bloc Holds Weekly Diwaniya
KUWAIT CITY, March 29
Director General of Al-Yousifi Charity Organization Dr Adil Al-Yousefi has stressed the need to modify the traffic symbols, which the entire world has been using since the end of 18th Century.
Al-Yousefi made the statement in the recently-concluded weekly diwaniya organized by the Constitutional Unity Bloc, during which the participants discussed the road culture and the rising accident rate in the country.
He disclosed the results of several studies conducted by a number of European countries show that a community is usually divided into sectors, such as hospitals, police stations and schools among others. He said the studies found a discrepancy between these sectors in terms of the psychological aspect of the road users and this reflects negatively on the roads, since they are considered the main unit in the entire society.
He compared the roads with blood vessels inside the human body as their role is to 'feed' the whole community, so when an accident occurs, it is considered a tumor in humans. He pointed out any accident, even if it is minor, should not be disregarded and it should be dealt with immediately.
Meanwhile, Kuwait Road Traffic Safety Association Chairperson Dr Badr Al-Matar asserted the roads in the country can no longer accommodate the increasing number of vehicles, currently estimated at 1.75 million. He argued this is a very large number, considering the size of the roads whose functional validity ended 15 years ago.
Al-Matar highlighted the worsening traffic problem in the country which ranks fourth in the world and this means the pollution level is high, resulting in an unhealthy atmosphere. He also enumerated the mistakes in relation to the search for appropriate solutions to the traffic problem. He said there seems to be a general hesitancy in using public transportation due to lack of better public transportation system, especially in terms of the routes and quality of public vehicles; prompting most people to buy their own cars.
Stressing the need for the country to adopt a serious approach in dealing with the traffic issue which has become a national problem, Al-Matar suggested a holistic approach involving three key elements -- humans, roads and vehicles. He said efforts to address the problem should be focused on these elements in order to find appropriate and lasting solutions.
On the human aspect, Al-Matar underscored the need to train the motorists to control their reactions, to give them proper training in regard to usage of the road, consolidate the road culture and driving behavior to eradicate recklessness and ensure strict compliance to traffic regulations which should be implemented properly.
On the roads, Al-Matar suggested widening the roads and building new ones and cities, in addition to the establishment of metro rails and expansion of stops and public domains.
On the cars, Al-Matar underlined the need to adopt the culture of manufacturing road-worthy vehicles, regulate the ownership of personal vehicles, and to organize the taxi industry by specifying times for their operations. He added traffic congestion costs the State KD 2.1 billion annually, yet the proposed solutions are just ink on paper.
© Arab Times 2013
