Parliament upholds 30-day grace period and half-minimum traffic fine payment despite Shura rejection.

Parliament yesterday approved a bill to give drivers longer time to settle traffic fines at a discount, with backers citing strain on household budgets. The change rewrites paragraph three of Article 56 of the Traffic Law so a motorist who accepts a settlement has 30 days to pay an amount equal to half the minimum fine. It replaces the current ladder, under which a driver pays half the minimum within seven days of the offer, the full minimum within 30 days, and no less than a quarter of the maximum if settlement is taken up before the Public Prosecution. The Shura Council rejected the measure in principle.

Rethink

The government urged a rethink, saying a longer window would blunt general deterrence because settlement stands in for punishment and should be paid without delay to keep roads safe. Committee chairman Hassan BuKhammas said the upper chamber’s objection was studied in detail. “The aim is to ease matters for citizens who want to settle. A month gives people room to organise the payment and should raise the number of settlements,” he said.

Unrealistic

MP Mohammed Al Rafaei called the one-week window unrealistic for many families. “Most fines sit around BD100 and drop to BD50 on settlement. With bills to meet, a week isn’t enough. A month is reasonable,” he said, adding that any effect falls on drivers rather than the state budget. MP Jalal Kadhem opposed the change.

Deterrence

“Extending the window weakens deterrence and gives cover for daily breaches. We should be firm on offences such as parking in disabled bays and using phones at the wheel,” he said, proposing a 48-hour limit to force quick payment and responsibility. MP Ahmed Al Salloom backed the extension, saying seven days is too short for many to raise the money. He pointed to recent debates on tougher traffic penalties and urged simple payment routes during the new window so drivers can use the half-minimum option.