Kuwait Times

Published Date: October 12, 2009

KUWAIT: The International Traffic Conference began here yesterday titled 'Traffic in the State of Kuwait and its Modern Concerns'. It was held under the patronage of HH the PM Sheikh Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah and was attended by the Interior Minister Sheikh Jaber Khalid Al-Sabah. The opening ceremony was attended by dignitaries, statesmen, MOI officials, scientists and specialists in traffic issues.

Speaking during the ceremony, Al-Sabah asserted that the conference showed that the Kuwait attaches great importance to traffic issues and it is keen on finding suitable solutions to resolve the resulting problems.

Al-Sabah also highlighted that the conference was a step forward toward limiting traffic accidents and jams that have a negative social and economic impact. He underscored that traffic problems were not the responsibility of certain authorities or bodies, and that it is a social issue that affects both the society and the country at the same time. This is because many young lives have been lost in various accidents, including those of children.

Further, Al-Sabah asserted that the conference aims at benefiting from the experiences of other nations in solving similar problems and ultimately, they manage to reduce the rate of road accidents.

Bader Al-Muttar, Head of the Kuwait's Society for Traffic Safety and Head of the Organizing committee said that road accidents have claimed thousands of lives annually, and that they amount to at least 2.5 percent of the GCC GDP.

Placed on top of all other Arab nations, Kuwait has been witnessing catastrophic road accidents that have killed 26,000 and injured 250,000 annually. It has resulted in financial losses that amount to $60 billion," he asserted. He noted that, worldwide, the figure stands at 2 million deaths and only 50,000 injuries.