QU's Vice-President for Research and Graduate Studies Prof Mariam Al-Maadeed and General Directorate of Traffic Director Brigadier Mohammed Saad Al-Kharji signing the agreement.
To establish collaboration in the exchange of information and consultancy in traffic safety, the Qatar Transportation and Traffic Safety Center (QTTSC) at Qatar University College of Engineering (QU-CENG) yesterday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the General Directorate of Traffic.
“The aim of the MoU is to enhance cooperation in traffic safety and transportation. Now QTTSC will be able to get any information or data which the Centre needs for research projects from the Traffic Department without any problem,” said Dr Mohamed Kharbeche, senior Researcher at Qatar Transportation and Traffic Safety Center.
“Through the MoU, Traffic Department and QTTSC will benefit from the studies done by both sides and will be exchanging knowledge and information on a regular basis that will further help in conducting research," he added.
The MoU was signed by QU Vice-President for Research and Graduate Studies Prof Mariam Al-Maadeed and General Directorate of Traffic Director Brigadier Mohammed Saad Al-Kharji in the presence of General Secretary of the National Committee for Traffic Safety Brigadier Mohamed Al Malki, QU Chief Strategy and Development Officer Dr Darwish Al-Emadi, CENG Dean and QTTSC Director Dr Khalifa Al-Khalifa, ExxonMobil Vice-President and Director of Government and Public Affairs Saleh S Al Mana.
The terms of the MoU include collaboration in the evaluation of the current studies and consultations in the area of traffic safety. Both parties will cooperate to develop awareness campaigns and new training programmes for drivers, and will run development programmes in coordination with international organizations and research centers.
Commenting on the MoU, Dr Khalifa Al Khalifa, said: “Road safety is one of the main areas of interest in Qatar, and the College of Engineering through QTTSC continues to highlight its commitment to road safety by investing in research and awareness programmes that would help find sustainable solutions to the road and traffic challenges in Qatar.
This MoU demonstrates CENG’s continuous efforts to contribute to road safety in Qatar by reducing road traffic accidents and developing a safe road transport system in line with the National Road Safety Strategy.”
Brigadier Mohammed Saad Al-Kharji said: “This MoU will contribute to providing solutions for Qatar’s traffic safety challenges since it adds value to our collaboration efforts to overcome these challenges.”
The event featured a brief on the outcomes of the research papers by QTTSC and the General Directorate of Traffic.
The papers are sponsored by ExxonMobil. They include: “In-Depth Analysis of Road Traffic Accidents in Qatar between 1995-2014”, “Prediction of Road Accidents in the State of Qatar in 2022”, “Assessing Road Safety Campaigns in Qatar between 2007-2015”, “Doha Expressway Study”, “Safety Performance of School Buses in Qatar”, and “Study on Pedestrian Safety Enhancement in Qatar”.
