ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED NEWSPAPER 16 March 2013 4 Jumada I 1434 - Volume 18 Number 5640 Price: QR2 ON SATURDAY Spike in court cases over bounced cheques DOHA: The problem of cheques being issued by people and companies without sufficient balance in their bank accounts is becoming worse as an estimated 150 to 250 such cases are being heard by the courts on a daily basis. According to sources in the legal frater- nity, cheques being issued by individuals in their day-to-day transactions top the list of the cases that are being taken to the courts. Sources say that the cases involving bounced cheques are the largest in number in the courts and cannot be compared in any way to other civil or commercial dis- putes in volume. See also page 3 Netanyahu seals deals to form new govt JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed deals with key coalition partners on Friday, forming a new government just before a deadline and a milestone visit by US President Barack Obama. The alliance of Netanyahu’s Likud party and former foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beitenu had been locked in intense negotiations for 40 days with the centrist Yesh Atid and far-right Jewish Home parties, which held the key to building a government with a majority in the 120-seat parliament. He had previously signed with the centrist HaTnuah party of former foreign minister Tzipi Livni, who is to be justice minister and Israel’s negotiator in talks with the Palestinians. CURBING With Yesh Atid and Jewish Home now on board, the coalition will command a total of 68 parliamentary seats. See also page 4 Li Keqiang is China’s new prime minister BEIJING: China’s legislature formally chose Li Keqiang as premier yesterday, installing an English-speaking bureau- crat as the man in charge of the economy, the world’s second-largest, and its aim of ACCIDENTS reviving growth through consumer-led expansion. The largely rubber-stamp National People’s Congress, as expected, chose THE ISSUE 57-year-old Li to replace Wen Jiabao. Nearly 3,000 delegates gathered in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People to vote on Li’s For the past several years, tens of thousands Then, drivers are different. Some drive appointment, putting the final stamp of A sudden surge in population Abraham Augusthy of new vehicles and drivers have been annually slowly and abide by traffic rules, while there approval on a generational transition of caused by a heavy influx of joining the ever-increasing fleet of automobiles are others who are reckless and give a damn power. Li drew only three no votes and foreign workers and the resulting and motorists on Qatar’s roads. “We have to to rules, he added. “That also contributes to Design: six abstentions from the carefully selected explosion in the number of new consider this factor as well while talking about mishaps.” parliament. increasing road accidents in the country,” Jolo Statistics suggest that more than 67 per- See also page 11 vehicles being added to Qatar’s told this newspaper yesterday. cent of those involved in road accidents last roads should be considered one In the old days, not more than 15,000 to year were in the age group of 18 to 35 years. Dreamliner to be back in of the factors responsible for the 20,000 new vehicles came on the roads in a According to prominent psychologist Dr Moza year — a number that has multiplied more than Al Malki, young people have an enzyme in their service soon: Boeing large number of traffic accidents, threefold over the past decade. “And now, you brain that prevents them from considering the TOKYO: The grounded Dreamliner is suggests the Qatari Engineers’ have so much load on these roads,” Jolo said. consequences of what they think is daredevilry, “absolutely” safe and will be back in the According to him, the designs of the major and that could be a reason why so many young air within weeks, plane-maker Boeing Association. roads were conceived years ago, and such a big people perish while driving recklessly. said in Japan yesterday as it sought to explosion in the number of men and vehicles “The role of the family assumes tremendous reassure airlines and passengers about might not have been anticipated. importance here. They should deal properly the aircraft. hen talking about the rise in Asked why the February 22 Road was so with their youngsters and keep the fact about The 50 planes grounded around the world the number of road accidents, much prone to mishaps and if there were faults the brain enzyme in mind while handling since two lithium-ion battery malfunctions it should also be borne in mind in its design, Jolo hinted there could be some them,” Al Malki told this newspaper. sparked a global no-fly order in mid-Janu- PAGEWthat the6 designs of many of the problem with the design and execution of the She said stringent laws and fines did not ary will undergo fixes to their systems and major thoroughfares were conceived years road project but added that one of the major always prove deterrent against violation of be operational again soon, senior executives ago, according to Ahmed Jolo, head of the reasons was that the road led to a number of traffic rules. said. Association. busy commercial and service areas. Continued on page 2 See also page 14 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780 MARCH 16, 2013 ON SATURDAY 02 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com Home Tougher rules cut road deaths Qatar aims to reduce the number of serious traffic accidents from 300 to 250 per 100,000 people by 2016. BY MOHAMMAD SHOEB manoeuvre. The traffic depart- The traffic village is equipped ment has no way to register such with large screens that show films DOHA: With about 90,000 new violations, which may sound small on traffic safety. In addition, there vehicles and more than 100,000 but are often the cause of big are toy vehicles on which children new drivers coming on Qatar’s accidents,” said Barkatullah, an can take part in races. roads every year, the country Indian with more than 15 years of The village aims at creating is facing a monumental task driving experience in the United awareness among children about in preventing traffic accidents Arab Emirates and Qatar. public safety in an entertaining and ensuring the safety of road During the event, Talib Afifa, a way. It provides them knowledge users. victim of a traffic accident, pre- and training to avoid accidents The 29th Gulf Traffic Week sented a poem about the tragedies resulting from reckless driving. has once again brought this issue faced by those who ignore traffic In addition to awareness cam- into focus with its central theme: rules and etiquette. paigns, the government is consid- “Your safety is our goal.” Students also visited the ering other measures, including The week-long campaign- Ministry of Interior’s tent and use of advanced technology, to cum-exhibition has evoked an pavilions of the participating reduce accidents. overwhelming response from the companies, and learnt about the There are plans to install more public, with the activities slated services provided by MoI depart- speed radars on highways. Once to conclude today. ments to the public. They also the initiative is implemented, the “The campaign was very suc- participated in a quiz contest on distance between two radars will cessful. We received a great traffic safety in which the winners be reduced to two kilometres from response from visitors, including were given prizes. the current four kilometres. schoolchildren. Over 10,000 men, were issued in 2011. Regency. fellow road users in sedan cars, A traffic village for kids is A large number of road cas- women and children, includ- However, a nationwide aware- The six-day event, organised by even if they have priority on the a major attraction of the 29th ualties involve pedestrians. ing 7,000 students from various ness campaign being waged by the MoI, was inaugurated by Staff roads. Some honk from behind GCC Traffic Week. It replicates Pedestrians, in the absence of schools, visited the event every the Traffic Department in col- Major General Saad bin Jassim to make others realise their mis- a small village with traffic signs, pedestrian bridges or subways, day, and we are expecting another laboration with several private Al Khulaifi, Director General of takes, and at times put undue signals, small cars and bikes that sometimes cross roads when 20,000 visitors over the next and public entities, combined Public Security. pressure on other drivers to get conform to safety and security traffic is in full flow. They often two days,” an official from the with stringent traffic rules, has “Today, we celebrate the 29th ahead, even if there is no room for requirements. fail to correctly judge the speed Ministry of Interior (MoI) told resulted in a gradual fall in the Gulf Traffic Week embodying the of cars while crossing roads, and The Peninsula last Thursday. number of accidents and casual- spirit of brotherhood and coop- fall victim to accidents. Some GCC Traffic Week, which has ties, says the Department. eration among the GCC countries 27.4 percent of the victims of been taking place for the past 29 Despite a surge in the number in the face of common concerns Accidents major challenge for GCC road accidents in 2012 were years in all the member states of new vehicles in 2012, the death and challenges to establish rules Continued from page 1 pedestrians.