The Ministry of Interior, represented by the General Directorate of Traffic, Qatar, has announced a set of regulations to be followed by mechanical vehicle owners, with effect from May 22 this year.

One regulation requires motorists to pay up all traffic dues and fines before leaving Qatar anytime before September 1, 2024. The motorist concerned cannot leave the country by land, air, or sea, till all the dues have been paid. A 50% discount is also implemented by the traffic directorate which the motorist can avail of from June 1 to August 31, 2024. The discount on fines is for traffic violations recorded within three years.

Metrash2 application, Ministry of Interior website, Traffic sections, Unified service centers are the portals where the traffic fines can be paid.

In the event of the motorist leaving the country with the vehicle, a permit is mandatory. It can be obtained from the traffic directorate certifying that there are no outstanding traffic violations or pending dues. The vehicle’s owner must be the applicant for the permit.

A permit must also be obtained from the traffic directorate for the vehicle to exit the country. The permit is given only if there are no outstanding traffic violations, with the owner stating the destination of the vehicle in the application itself. Applications will be considered only if the vehicle owner is the applicant.

The new regulations also specify that renewal of registration for mechanical vehicles is possible only if the vehicle has had a technical inspection in Qatar. In case the renewal has not been done within 30 days from the date of expiry, the vehicle owner must return the number plate to the traffic directorate of Qatar. – editor@nrifocus.com