Sharjah: Motorists in Sharjah and the other Northern Emirates will also benefit from the 50 per cent discount on traffic fines announced on Friday by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, as part of the UAE’s 46th National Day celebrations.

In a tweet on Friday, Shaikh Mohammad directed the Ministry of Interior to coordinate with the traffic and licensing departments across the country to slash all traffic fines by 50 per cent.

Police spokespersons in Sharjah and the other Northern Emirates confirmed that the motorists in respective emirates will be able to avail of the discount.

In these emirates, the reduction will be on fines incurred before December 2, 2017, and the discounted fines have to be paid within three months.

Colonel Saeed Bin Aran, director of the Patrol and Traffic Department of Umm Al Quwain Police, told Gulf News that the decision was relayed by the Ministry of Interior and the department would start implement it from Saturday for three more months.

“In Umm Al Quwain, we already have an ongoing 50 per cent discount programme that came into effect on November 19 and it was scheduled to end on December 31. It will now be extended according to the Ministry of Interior’s decision,” said Col Bin Aran.

In Sharjah, Major Mohammad Alay, director of the police’s Patrol and Traffic Department, told Gulf News that the decision would be circulated [officially] to all traffic departments on Monday and more details would be announced that day.

Sharjah also has an ongoing 50 per cent discount programme which began on October 19 and was scheduled to end on December 31. With this announcement of nationwide fine reduction scheme, the offer will now be extended.

Police in Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah also confirmed that they would implement the instructions of the ministry and their ongoing 50 per cent fine reduction period would be extended.

In Ras Al Khaimah, the traffic fine reduction offer was supposed to end on Saturday.

The Ras Al Khaimah Police had announced a 55 per cent reduction on traffic fines on October 26, applicable from November 1 to November 15, which was then extended till December 2.

Following the ministry’s announcement, the offer has now been further extended.

Last month, Dubai Police had also announced a 50 per cent discount on fines pending from 2016, if they are paid before the end of 2017. The discount was available only for fines issued last year.

However, neither the Dubai Police nor Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) have offered any clarification or confirmation on the implementation of Shaikh Mohammad’s 50 per cent discount offer.