The audience at the community meeting organised by the Ministry of Interior.
BY AZMAT HAROON
Doha: The Traffic Department has urged leaders of expatriate community organisations to form traffic awareness committees and conduct studies to analyse the causes of road accidents involving their community members.
Addressing a seminar for expatriate communities here last Sunday, traffic awareness officer Lt. Riyadh Ahmed Salih said the Traffic Department had been organising safety training programmes for community organisations, schools and companies and was ready to support awareness initiatives among all communities.
“We would like to ask community leaders to form traffic awareness committees, to organise contests in producing traffic awareness films, and to conduct studies on the reasons behind traffic accidents and causes of traffic deaths among community members,” Ahmed Salih said.
Some 150 representatives of expatriate communities and schools from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines attended the introductory seminar on services provided by the Ministry of Interior (MoI) to expatriate
communities.
Officials from the Search and Follow-Up Department (SFD), Traffic Department, Human Rights Department, Community Policing Sections and Information Systems Department briefed the attendees about the services each department provides. The seminar was conducted by the Public Relations Department of MoI.
Ahmed Salih said the Traffic Department would train select volunteers from each community, apart from supporting film-making and research
initiatives.
He pointed out that a large number of traffic accidents involving expatriates were the result of negligence and lack of familiarity with traffic rules and systems in Qatar.
Leaders of community organisations and representatives of schools were also urged to support efforts by the Traffic Department in the area of traffic safety by organising awareness programmes for members of each community in their language.
Ahmed Salih said it was important for organisations to cooperate with the Traffic Department in conducting studies and research into the causes of traffic accidents in order to reduce accidents.
The Traffic Department has also launched community policing sections to enhance cooperation between the police and expatriate communities and remove fear of the police, especially among those new to Qatar.
Community policing sections exist at the North, South, Capital, Rayyan and Dukhan security departments.
Speaking at the seminar, Captain Rashid Mubarak Al Khayarin, Community Policing Officer from North Security Department, said community policing was a new concept in Qatar and was a partnership between the public and police wherein people help the police fight crime and, in some cases, prevent it.
He also explained customs and traditions in Qatar that have to be respected by expatriates in order to avoid misunderstandings that result from differences in culture between Qatar and the countries from which expatriates hail.
Standing in front of residential villas and entering the front gate without permission is not acceptable in Qatari culture. People are also not allowed to take photographs in public without permission from those around. Taking pictures without permission, especially of women, is a crime punishable by law. It is also considered rude to stare at women in public.
Al Khayarin also outlined some safety measures for expatriates. He said the ministry had come across cases where people had stolen money from labour camps.
“In most labour camps, more than eight or 10 people are housed together. Naturally, people know where their roommates keep their money. The keys to a drawer would be under the pillow in most cases,” he said, urging people to keep their salary in a bank instead of in their room.
Previously, the ministry has come across cases of fake CID officers in plain clothes who scare and dupe ordinary people.
Another presentation was given by Major Abdul Rahman Ibrahim Fakhroo, head of the Search and Investigation Section at SFD.
He gave an introduction of the SFD, its functions, services offered to the public, activities prohibited by law, and means of communication with the Ministry of Interior.
“It is a great pleasure for me to participate in such events, which ensure convergence of views and opinions and help communicate with each other to achieve our desired goal, which is peaceful and stable stay for members of all communities and promoting development and communication between different cultures,” he said.
Major Fakhroo explained different articles of Law No. 4 of 2009, which regulates the entry, exit, residence and sponsorship of expatriates in the country. Services offered to residents and visitors were also described.
He said detention wards had gone through major advancements according to international human rights standards.
Lt Abdullah Sultan Al Nuaimi from the Complaints Section of the Human Rights Department spoke about the services and functions of the department, saying the MoI was keen to protect the human rights of all residents without discrimination.
The seminar concluded with a presentation on about 50 services offered to the public by Metrash2. Lt Muhammed Ali Al Kuwari, systems development officer in the Information Systems Department, explained in detail the benefits of the service and the way to subscribe to and activate the services.
THE PENINSULA
