DOHA: Traffic congestions at junctions will soon be cleared as authorities have installed surveillance cameras at 33 major intersections in the country. The cameras will beam images to control rooms round-the-clock.
This kind of monitoring of traffic movements near traffic intersections have been absent so far, which meant that traffic and law enforcement officials took time to reach the area of congestion and disperse the traffic.
In addition to managing traffic movements efficiently and clearing snarls, the surveillance cameras will be able to beam images to the control rooms of traffic rule violations by motorists and accidents occurring at the junctions.
“We can immediately dispatch patrol teams to such hotspots and clear the congestion in no time,” said project officer at the Security Systems Department, Lieutenant Ahmed Juma Al Kubaisi.
CCTV monitoring will also help in investigating traffic rule violations and accidents near these hotspots, the official added.
Al Kubaisi clarified that the cameras were not meant for security surveillance when asked if vehicles wanted by law enforcement agencies could be traced through CCTV footages.The cameras will only monitor the traffic movement and help manage congestions efficiently and investigate mishaps and traffic rule breaches.
If the Traffic Department needs footages of accidents for investigation, they can be readily provided, said Al Kubaisi.
The CCTV cameras will beam images round-the-clock to the control rooms of the National Command Centre of the Ministry of Interior and the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) from the 33 junctions.
A press statement issued by the Interior Ministry said yesterday the 33 junctions have been covered in the first phase of the traffic management project launched by the Security Systems Department in close cooperation with Ashghal.
Another 15 traffic light intersections will be covered under the surveillance system soon.
Traffic signals can also be remote-controlled to manage the traffic, as they can be closed or opened for more time as the need arises.
The Peninsula
