A trip to Traffic.....
Back in January, I had managed to acquire a couple of traffic violations. These appeared odd however, as I picked them up at the same time on the same day in the same place.
As usual you have to go and randomly check the traffic website to see if you have any violations, as you do not get emails or letters through the post.
I had done a check and spotted the first one, and then a few days later I had gone on to the website to see if I could settle the fine and spotted the second one with the same date and time and location.
I sent an email to the traffic department, and they said I need to head out to 'Counter 17' at the traffic department (which I think is the one over in Madinat Khalifa). I was heading back offshore so just left it for the time being.
Coming back from offshore, I need to get this paid/sorted out. I really could be done with the all the hassle of a trip out to Madinat Khalifa and then try to explain what the issue is etc. so decided to try and see if I could at least get more info online.
In 2015 I received a speeding ticket, and when you went onto settle the fine, it gave you more details that just on the 'checking' website. However, it all appears to have changed.
There is an application called Metrash2 which you can download for Androids/IOS and allows you do pay traffic fines etc, This is where I ran into the first problem, the mobile device you try to use the application on must be registered in your QatarID number, once you have done this, you can then register secondary devices. The problem is my mobile is a company phone and therefore not registered to my QID.
Borrowing the wife's phone (it is registered under my QID) I managed to download and activate the Metrash2 application. This is where I ran into the 2nd problem. When trying to check for violations, it gave me an 'Unauthorised Agent' error. No idea what this means. I went back to check the requirements of Metrash2 and apparently you also need to have the new SmartCard Qatar ID. Mine is just the original non-smart card. You can pay to get this changed, but having checked this out, you need to go and get more photographs taken and more fingerprints done (according to the website). Mine will be getting changed in 2017 anyway when the renewal is up (if i'm still here!), so don't need the hassle.
In the end, I elected to just simply go and visit one of the fine collections points. The closest one to the villa is on E'Ring road, so jumped in the car and off we went.
Arriving at the Traffic place, parked the car out the front and headed in the door. Going through the front door, I noticed counters to the right through a doorway. Headed in there to see it needed those 'Next Customer' ticket machines, couldn't see one so headed out the other door at the far end to find the machine next to query desk.
It wasn't obvious as to which option to select, either 'Registration' or 'Investigation', so waited to speak to the guy who told us 'Registration' and then to which set of counters to use.
Sitting waiting out turn, must have been about 4 or 5 people before us who were all non-western or middle eastern and the Qatari lady behind one of the counters opposite us waved us across. I thought she was just calling on my wife, so I said she is with me, and the official asked "Are you finished?", and I replied that we were still waiting, and she insisted we came up to the desk skipping the queue.
After giving her the car registration number, she confirmed the make, model and colour and the number of offences to pay. Handed over the debit card, paid the fines and she handed over the receipt which was all in Arabic, so no idea what is on it, was hoping it might have told me more about the offences. We had a bit of a laugh with the official on if it was me or the wife, and she just told us to be more careful in future and we left the building and on our way.
The following day, I went onto the website to check the violations have all cleared, to make sure I haven't just paid for someones elses fines! This is possible, because vehicles can have the same number plate number, and then there are different types of plate depending on type of vehicle, e.g. Private Vehicle, Commercial, Taxi, Motorbike, Government etc. etc.
I suspect these were standard speeding tickets which carry a 500QR fine (approx. 95GBP) and no Black Points. The speed limits can vary, and it is easy to miss a switch from 100 to 80 km/h, or to think you are on one or the other, so on this occasion suspect I might have been doing 100 in an 80km/h, but guess i'll never know, unless I get the receipt translated and it tells me!
For more on Metrash2, visit this link
As usual you have to go and randomly check the traffic website to see if you have any violations, as you do not get emails or letters through the post.
I had done a check and spotted the first one, and then a few days later I had gone on to the website to see if I could settle the fine and spotted the second one with the same date and time and location.
I sent an email to the traffic department, and they said I need to head out to 'Counter 17' at the traffic department (which I think is the one over in Madinat Khalifa). I was heading back offshore so just left it for the time being.
Coming back from offshore, I need to get this paid/sorted out. I really could be done with the all the hassle of a trip out to Madinat Khalifa and then try to explain what the issue is etc. so decided to try and see if I could at least get more info online.
In 2015 I received a speeding ticket, and when you went onto settle the fine, it gave you more details that just on the 'checking' website. However, it all appears to have changed.
There is an application called Metrash2 which you can download for Androids/IOS and allows you do pay traffic fines etc, This is where I ran into the first problem, the mobile device you try to use the application on must be registered in your QatarID number, once you have done this, you can then register secondary devices. The problem is my mobile is a company phone and therefore not registered to my QID.
Borrowing the wife's phone (it is registered under my QID) I managed to download and activate the Metrash2 application. This is where I ran into the 2nd problem. When trying to check for violations, it gave me an 'Unauthorised Agent' error. No idea what this means. I went back to check the requirements of Metrash2 and apparently you also need to have the new SmartCard Qatar ID. Mine is just the original non-smart card. You can pay to get this changed, but having checked this out, you need to go and get more photographs taken and more fingerprints done (according to the website). Mine will be getting changed in 2017 anyway when the renewal is up (if i'm still here!), so don't need the hassle.
In the end, I elected to just simply go and visit one of the fine collections points. The closest one to the villa is on E'Ring road, so jumped in the car and off we went.
Arriving at the Traffic place, parked the car out the front and headed in the door. Going through the front door, I noticed counters to the right through a doorway. Headed in there to see it needed those 'Next Customer' ticket machines, couldn't see one so headed out the other door at the far end to find the machine next to query desk.
It wasn't obvious as to which option to select, either 'Registration' or 'Investigation', so waited to speak to the guy who told us 'Registration' and then to which set of counters to use.
Sitting waiting out turn, must have been about 4 or 5 people before us who were all non-western or middle eastern and the Qatari lady behind one of the counters opposite us waved us across. I thought she was just calling on my wife, so I said she is with me, and the official asked "Are you finished?", and I replied that we were still waiting, and she insisted we came up to the desk skipping the queue.
After giving her the car registration number, she confirmed the make, model and colour and the number of offences to pay. Handed over the debit card, paid the fines and she handed over the receipt which was all in Arabic, so no idea what is on it, was hoping it might have told me more about the offences. We had a bit of a laugh with the official on if it was me or the wife, and she just told us to be more careful in future and we left the building and on our way.
The following day, I went onto the website to check the violations have all cleared, to make sure I haven't just paid for someones elses fines! This is possible, because vehicles can have the same number plate number, and then there are different types of plate depending on type of vehicle, e.g. Private Vehicle, Commercial, Taxi, Motorbike, Government etc. etc.
I suspect these were standard speeding tickets which carry a 500QR fine (approx. 95GBP) and no Black Points. The speed limits can vary, and it is easy to miss a switch from 100 to 80 km/h, or to think you are on one or the other, so on this occasion suspect I might have been doing 100 in an 80km/h, but guess i'll never know, unless I get the receipt translated and it tells me!
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| Typical Camera |
For more on Metrash2, visit this link
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Hi there, thank you for reading and sharing your comments, please keep it clean as my kids are probably reading and no spam/linking off to other commercial sites!