Syria Today | Moving Violations

Moving Violations

By Remco Andersen
Photos Fadi al-Hamwi & Carole al-Farah

When you are riding shotgun in a taxi racing through the capital, chances are you will be able to see whether the lock of the boot in the car before you lies horizontally or vertically. The capital’s snarling traffic never ceases to amaze visitors and is a source of much frustration for local residents.

Over the past year a major effort has been underway to improve road safety throughout the country – enforcing seat belts for the driver and the front-seat passenger and rolling out some 50 speed cameras around Damascus are two of the more high-profile initiatives. Neat little signs are also popping up at pedestrian crossings, showing a friendly motorist stopping their car in front of a zebra crossing to let a pedestrian cross the street without having to navigate a stream of moving traffic.

All of which is having an effect, say authorities. They point to figures which show road deaths throughout the country fell by around 9 percent last year, from 2,818 fatalities in 2007 to 2,563 in 2008. This also comes at a time, points out General Muhammad Ammar Younis, director of the Damascus Traffic Department, when vehicle numbers have risen by between 10 to 15 percent annually.

“Accidents have decreased because we have regulated speeds in Damascus,” Younis said. “The incidences of traffic violations have decreased by 50 percent. The incidence of speeding has also decreased dramatically by 80 percent. What’s more, those caught for speeding are caught at the lower range, generally not more than 10 to 15kph above the speed limit.”

Dodging the bullet

Despite the new laws, many rebellious Damascene drivers are finding a number of creative ways to avoid the apparent nuisance of having to wear seatbelts and obey speed limits. The frequently banged-up Saipa Saba taxis often lack proper belts and a front-seat passenger may be asked to simply hold the belt over his chest while the driver wraps his own around the handbrake. Speed cameras on Mezzeh Autostrada make for nervous out-of-towners, who do not always seem to understand the point and are inclined to open a window to chat to a fellow motorist about it – all while driving.

The more devious speeder is rumoured to have discovered the existence of a reflective spray designed to make number plates appear as a white smudge in speed camera photos. Despite scouring several local auto-accessory shops, Syria Today could not find the elusive spray. A trip around Baramke’s car-part shops, however, did result in one tip: apparently you can use ordinary carpenter’s lacquer to camouflage your number plate.

Apart from hefty fines, the new law includes a penalty point system: like in many other countries, bad driving will cost you points on your licence and when all 16 are deducted you will be banned from driving for three to nine months. Extreme cases can be directed back to driving school.

There is, however, a catch: Syrian licences do contain photos, but the recently added and separate point-deductible punch card does not. This, of course, is a loophole begging to be abused.

“You rent out the punch card that goes with your licence,” explains one of the fixers who makes his living sorting out people’s forms at the Zablatani automobile registration centre. “For SYP 500 [USD 10.90] a point, other people can use it to avoid getting points deducted from their own licence.”

Red tape

Despite such attempts to avoid compliance with the new rules, an afternoon of enquiry at the Zablatani automobile registration centre yields a mostly positive reaction to the new traffic regime.

“You see a big difference on the road,” Mohammed Kheer, a taxi driver in his thirties, said. “Speeds have gone down, safety has gone up and the overall situation is improving.”

Although the new regulations generally get a positive review, complaints about how drivers find out about their fines are widespread. When he spoke to Syria Today, Kheer had just walked out with two fines totalling SYP 2,100 (USD 45.65) for obstructing traffic, which basically translates to picking up customers from the middle of the road. His fines were imposed after a policeman spotted his infraction and jotted down his number plate. He only found out about them when he came to pay his registration.

“I can see why I get the fines,” he said. “But why don’t I get them straight away?”

Confusion also surrounds the nature of the fine system. Police can issue penalties in person, stopping the driver and issuing a fine, or in their absence, merely writing down the number plate. Penalties issued in person attract a 50 percent discount if the driver pays the fine within seven days. Many drivers, however, mistakenly believe the discount applies to both types of penalties.

Younis said authorities recognise the need to inform drivers about their infringements in a timelier manner. He confirmed that the Traffic Department is reviewing an SMS messaging service which will send drivers a text message alerting them to their fine.

“We’re working to develop an information bank that will gather all the fines and send drivers a text message informing them about the penalty,” he said. “I can’t tell you exactly when this is going to be ready, but we are following it up.”

For the best

The value of the fines is another point of complaint for many drivers, especially professional taxi and minibus drivers.

“I make about SYP 600 (USD 13) a day,” Nasser, a 53-year-old taxi driver, said. “I have just been issued with a fine for stopping where it’s not allowed. This has cost me three days work. Is this fair?”

It is a complaint Younis does not take seriously.

“I don’t think the fines are big in comparison with the value of a person’s life,” he said. “Whether it is a small fine or a large one, the law is clear and it is there to keep people alert and driving carefully and prevent them from making mistakes.”

There are other complaints: fines are levied against vehicles, rather than their owners, and a significant time-lag exists between the violation and the registration of the penalty. This, in turn, makes the purchase of a second-hand vehicle a more complicated process.

For professional drivers, the major irritant is that they are held responsible for their passengers’ transgressions. But in all, every single person interviewed stated his appreciation for the fact that some order is being imposed on the capital’s traffic.

“It’s a sign of progress,” Nasser said.