When hopes are dashed
i n order to put kuwait among the ranks of the advanced countries the national assembly passed a law three years ago to accelerate growth of the roads network and land transportation, developing integrated plans for public transportation, finding out alternatives for traditional transport that use the most advanced international technology and use the smart transport means, participation in reducing the traffic jam, enhancing the plans concerning supporting the environment and reducing the fuel consumption, providing the safety and security for all transport means, enhancing tourism and investment, encouraging the change of the attitude and establishing a public transport network complete with designated bus stops and maintenance garages. the law was passed by the national assembly and the government in the presence of mps and council of ministers including ministers of defence, interior, public works and transport respectively to establish the public authority for roads and land transportation. the commission’s board and general manager were appointed, the executive regulations were put in place and millions were disbursed in order to facilitate the achievement of the above objectives and assign responsibility for the construction and maintenance of metro and railway lines, operation of taxis, buses and mass transit, maintenance of road networks. the law also entrusted the authority the duty of technical testing of the vehicles, the issuance and renewal of driving licenses, the installation, operation and maintenance of traffic signs, road signs, the organization of road transport activities for passengers and freight forwarding, the provision and management of parking lots and trucks, driving instructions, supervising the trucks weighing stations and other tasks. the new director-general engineer abdullatif al-dakhil, was surprised that the same ministers who had previously approved the law and the functions of the authority, without objection, refused to transfer any of their ministry’s tasks to the authority. the ministry of interior refused to transfer the vehicles testing duties, issuing vehicles licenses and operating the traffic lights. the directorategeneral for state property followed in the footsteps of the ministry of interior – may be backed by the minister of finance -- and refused to hand over the car parks management to the authority. the ministry of public works refused to hand over the supervision of the roads maintenance. even the kuwait public transport company flexed its muscles in front of the newborn public authority when it refused to transform any of the rights of public transportation to it. as a result of this the directorgeneral abdullatif al-dakhil was so fed up of the situation because the authority remained empty and vacant with nothing to do so he threw in the towel. large sums of money was spent on that public authority in addition to the waste of precious time that has gone with the wind, some people resigned and the outcome of the formation of the authority was zero. who is satisfied with the situation as it is and has the courage to claim he loves this country? the story of the establishment of the roads and land transport authority is an example of government confusion, wasting effort, time and money. and we are still busy sending messages for (juma’a mubarak (have a blessed friday)!
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