The Ministry of Interior has ramped up enforcement against delivery riders through a series of targeted traffic campaigns that began in early October, focusing on motorcycles and vehicles used for home deliveries. Colonel Fahd Al-Essa, Director of the Traffic Awareness Department, said the operations would result in impoundment of offending vehicles for a minimum of 60 days under established procedures. These measures follow detection of repeated dangerous practices that the ministry said endanger riders, motorists and pedestrians alike. The campaigns form part of the ministry’s broader Prevention and Safety initiative, which leverages more than 370 traffic cameras for monitoring compliance across key routes.
A meeting convened on the directives of First Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef Al-Sabah brought together Brigadier General Ahmed Fahad Al-Azmi, Head of the Traffic and Operations Sector, with representatives of delivery companies on October 5. The ministry stated that company owners bear responsibility for educating drivers on traffic regulations and monitoring their adherence to road rules. Violations already recorded by some riders would trigger legal measures, including the two-month impoundment of motorcycles or cars, according to the ministry. Officials urged firms to organize awareness sessions covering safe driving, common infractions and obligations toward other road users.
The ministry listed several recurring violations observed during patrols, including weaving between vehicles, riding on sidewalks and pedestrian bridges, illegal overtaking and failure to stay in the right lane. Additional breaches involve operating without lights on delivery boxes or reflective vests, running red lights and changing lanes without signaling. The General Traffic Department emphasized that working for a delivery service grants no exemption from standard traffic laws, with the ministry noting that shortcuts do not justify any breach of regulations.
A specific campaign conducted on October 22 and supervised by Brigadier General Ahmed Fahad Al-Azmi resulted in the detention of multiple violators, issuance of citations and transfer of motorcycles to impound facilities, the ministry reported. The operation was led by Director General of the General Traffic Department Brigadier General Rashid Hamoud Al-Hajri with participation from Colonel Ayoub Ghazi Fathallah, Assistant Director General for Traffic Regulation Affairs. Several individuals faced referral for deportation proceedings where applicable, while the ministry confirmed that field inspections targeting delivery motorcycles would persist nationwide. Related enforcement in governorates such as Jahra and Farwaniya earlier in the month produced 103 traffic citations alongside arrests of residency violators and wanted persons.
Riders using sidewalks incur a KD 30 traffic settlement, with cases referred to court carrying potential penalties of up to one month in prison, fines between KD 50 and KD 100, or both, according to the ministry. The ministry reminded operators that sidewalks, footbridges and their ramps are reserved exclusively for pedestrians and that riders must obey all signs, signals and road markings without driving against traffic flow. Compliance with speed bumps by slowing down and remaining in lane was also stressed in the ministry’s guidance. The ministry’s statement concluded that adherence to these rules safeguards both the riders and the wider public.
The General Traffic Department has designated certain routes as off-limits for delivery motorcycles and continues to deploy patrols during peak hours to address congestion and violations, a ministry assessment found. Delivery companies were instructed to reinforce training on these restrictions to avoid repeated infractions that could invite administrative sanctions against the firms themselves. The ministry indicated that ongoing monitoring through its traffic control systems would sustain pressure on non-compliant operators across the country.
