The traffic authorities are planning to introduce “smart cars” for driving tests that will decide the results without intervention of the supervising policemen, a senior official said yesterday.
A model of the tailor-made smart car is on display at the GCC Traffic Week which opened at Darb El Saai yesterday.
Speaking on the sidelines of the opening ceremony, Brigadier Mohammed Saad Al Kharji, Director of the General Directorate of Traffic said that the smart cars, once introduced, will end complaints from trainees related to test results.
Currently the final driving tests on the road are supervised by traffic policemen, who also decide whether the candidate has passed or failed.
“This year we have displayed the smart car for driving tests. This car gives the final results of the test without any involvement of the policeman in the assessment process,” said Al Kharji.
“The smart car is still under evaluation and we will introduce it once the trial is successfully completed,” he added. The smart car has sensors which assess the performance of the trainee in using the brake and following the rules related to signals, lanes, parking, speed, among others.
The smart car, developed by a private company, will provide database for each trainee that can be referred to when needed. It can also record the results directly on the Traffic Department system.
Al Kharji said that during the GCC Traffic Week, the Department has for the first time showcased radars that are fully made in Qatar by a private company. And even the programming has been done by a Qatari private company.
The radars meeting world standards and specifications will be used to catch violations like speeding, failure to use seat belts etc. The radars have already been tested to check their performance in high temperature and harsh weather conditions, said the official. Brigadier Mohammed Marafi, Director, Traffic Safety and Engineering Department, said that since January, over 130 companies have been referred to Public Prosecution for violating the safety rules related to construction of roads.
