Jordanian is one of the biggest beneficiaries of police discount scheme

Man receiving a traffic fine, picture for illustrative purposes Image Credit: Gulf News Archives

Dubai: A Jordanian man who accumulated Dh65,000 in traffic fines, has paid nothing after going a year without re-offending thanks to Dubai Police’s traffic fine discount scheme.

Ayad Zalatimo, a 46-year-old driver, told Gulf News, that he left the country in 2010 and returned back in 2019 to discover that his car had been stolen and unknown drivers had been committing traffic fines in his car for nearly nine years.

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“I was a resident in the country between 2003 and 2010. I left the country and came back in 2019 but couldn’t find my car. It was stolen and it had Dh65,000 accumulated traffic fines,” Zalatimo said.

He reported the incident to Dubai Police who couldn’t find the car but the fines were kept in his traffic profile.

“When the Dubai Police traffic fine discount initiative was launched in February 6 of last year, it gave me hope to get a discount. I received a call few days ago from police that my Dubai fines had been waived,” he added.

As part of the initiative, launched last February, motorists can get discounts on fines incurred provided they don’t commit another traffic offence.

If they go three months without repeating an offence, they get a 25 per cent discount; 50 per cent for six months, 75 per cent for nine months and 100 per cent for 12 months.

“It is such a great initiative to encourage drivers not to commit traffic fines and obey the traffic law to be rewarded. When I came back to start a new life and job, I was surprised with the amount of traffic fines. The initiative helped me to have a new beginning,” he added.

However, Zalatimo said that he still have Dh45,000 accumulated traffic fines in other emirates.

Earlier this week, Dubai Police extended the discount initiative until February 2021.