By Laala Al Jaber
Some Blackberry users in Qatar, with the help of Bill Clinton; a New York cab driver; Austin Powers and a slew of other real and fictitious figures, are dodging the nation’s extensive radar traffic system, according to sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Blackberry users in Qatar may download a free application on their smart phone called Trapster, which pinpoints the exact locations of hidden radars on Qatar’s highways, intersections, roads and underpasses. According to local sources who use the application, drivers are warned of nearby radars through an automated voice of their choice. The voices available to Blackberry users range from prominent political figures like George W. Bush to beloved cartoon characters like Sponge Bob SquarePants. Trapster also marks radar locations in red on a detailed, interactive map of Qatar.
Online communities have also emerged on Facebook and message boards to provide people in Qatar with radar information. The Qatar Radars
Mounir Ouanaimi • Nov 1, 2010 at 9:47 am
Thanks for the great story, Laala!
Tools are just tools. Traffic police are the ones who catch violations. As long as there is no willingness to enforce traffic laws, radars, on a Blackberry application or not, will remain useless.
Police officers don’t even pull cars over when they see violations being committed right before their eyes. This is not doing the city any service. Increases in the fines have also proven to be ineffective in the absence of a real determination to curb traffic violations.
Maybe when there is will, law enforcement authorities will unpack those infrared radars which were supposed to be deployed around the city insteadof worrying about more telecom restrictions.
Go DailyQ!