Participants in a seminar, organised by the Ministry of Interior's General Directorate of Traffic, urged all those wishing to go camping this year to follow the health, environment and traffic rules and to respect security and safety procedures.
The seminar focused on the new conditions and procedures for registering tents and caravans and the related traffic rules, the necessary technical specifications, environmental violations, the role of the Qatar Tourism Authority through Al Enna project, and other topics related to the camping season.
During the seminar, participants stressed awareness campaigns during the camping season to avoid misconduct that could lead to loss of life, destruction of public and private property, or environmental damage.
On the traffic issue, director of the Awareness and Information Department at the General Directorate of Traffic, Colonel Mohamed Radhi al-Hajri, said that the camping season is witnessing traffic jams in several parts of the country. He stressed that the directorate will show zero tolerance to any violations of the specifications set by the Ministry of Interior.
Colonel al-Hajri also stated that caravans were registered during the one-year period provided to register them.
Hamad Medical Centre's Injury and Accident Centre Dr Aisha Obaid pointed to the increasing number of injuries caused by unsafe driving of quad bikes, warning against its use by children under 12 years of age.
She said that the Injury Prevention Centre has warned against the use of the bike by more than one person, and demanded that bike rental shops provide users with protective equipment, and urged that these bikes should not be used on public roads or at night.
Meanwhile, Traffic Investigation Department at the General Traffic Administration Capt. Fahd al-Shahwani said traffic patrols would be present around the clock to respond to reports of accidents or monitoring caravans during the camping season.
Lieutenant Rashid al-Hajri of the technical inspection department pointed to the modern registration system for caravans, under which the numbers are replaced with stickers on the chassis after ensuring that they meet the technical specifications for length and width.
Engineer Omar al-Awadhi of the Qatar General Authority for Standardisation and Metrology spoke about the compatibility of existing tents and caravans with technical specifications and their role in meeting traffic and road safety. He pointed out that the authority is in the process of completing these standards and distributing them along with other safety and administrative aspects.
Omar al-Jaber, spokesperson of the Al Enna project of the Qatar Tourism Authority, pointed to the advantages of the project and its tracks for motor sports and motorbikes. He said that the project, which will be built over a 300,000sqm area in its first phase, will organise the races and tournaments carried out by the Mawater Centre, by providing safe areas and conditions ensuring security and safety.
He added that it will feature motorcycle rental shops at a single location, in addition to eight ATV tracks for different stages and age levels.
On the role of traffic awareness during the camping season, Lt Mohamed al-Kuwari of the Traffic Awareness Department said that each year the department conducts a panel discussion in which safety procedures are discussed, in addition to partnership with all segments of society, organising weekly visits to camps, and an awareness vehicle that roams the wild areas in the north, south and Dukhan.
Lieutenant Abdul Hadi al-Marri of the General Directorate of Civil Defense urged campers to ensure availability of fire extinguisher inside the caravan, adding that civil defence will use motorcycles to respond to any emergency at camping sites.
