6 - Kuwait Oil Company

International Event
KPC Organizes International Traffic Conference
Sheikh Talal Al-Sabah is pictured inaugurating the event.
KPC recently organized the International Traffic Conference
at the Kuwait Regency Hotel under the patronage of the
Managing Director for Governmental, Parliamentary, PR
and Information Relations Sheikh Talal Al-Khaled Al-
Ahmad Al-Sabah. The aim of the conference was to bring
together members from various government authorities
and a selection of international experts to discuss ways
in which to deal with Kuwait’s growing traffic issues.
In his inaugural speech, Sheikh Talal Al-Khalid said
the conference reflects the concern of the country’s
state institutions and their desire to make efforts to
help take part in solving Kuwait’s mounting traffic
problems. The conference, he said, had the goal of
searching for an appropriate solution for the traffic
crisis which represents a hindrance against the
implementation of Kuwait’s future strategic plans.
Sheikh Talal Al-Khaled added that KPC has a long history
of adopting the concepts of Social Responsibility and
exerts its utmost to foster this principle within KPC and
its subsidiaries, as well as beyond the oil sector through
the activities it sponsors, such as the traffic conference.
He added that KPC has shouldered the responsibility of
pushing forward the wheel of sustainable development
by allotting long-term programs for the good of the
employees, their families and the entire Kuwaiti society.
He maintained that KPC decided to be a strategic partner
in such a significant conference in order to provide
appropriate solutions for this crisis which Kuwait now faces.
He further indicated that KPC’s participation in sponsoring
the conference stemmed from its diligent eagerness to
achieve the concepts of social responsibility which not only
need donations from large institutions, but also effective
participation in order for them to be applied practically.
Sheikh Talal posed a number of possible solutions for
the traffic crisis in Kuwait, which requires an appropriate
solution based on the growing population and growing
number of new cars being driven on an existing road
network which is not being expanded. He discussed
developing the road network in line with the increasing
population, reinforcing the concept of discipline and rule of
law by compelling drivers to comply with traffic regulations,
increasing the awareness of citizens and residents on traffic
rules and creating stiffer penalties for violators. He added
that there was also a need to put an end to backchannel
mediation or “wasta” during the process of issuing driving
licenses or dropping penalties for traffic violators. He
also encouraged more people in Kuwait to carpool when
possible and he also maintained the Kuwait could possibly
consider toll systems on its roads and be more stringent in
regard to suspending licenses of repeat traffic offenders.
Sheikh Talal also upheld his belief that it was of great
importance for the Kuwait Metro project to be established
and completed as soon as possible, as this will greatly
aid in alleviating traffic congestion in Kuwait.
It is worth mentioning that the conference was
attended by members from Municipal Council and
senior officials from the Ministry of Interior.
The ITC agenda was held under the title of “Traffic
Congestion…Solutions” and was comprised of a host of
presentations conducted by officials, chairmen, advisors,
consultants, specialists and researchers from inside and
outside the country, who shed light on their experiences
and the latest practical and technical solutions to this
problem, which constitutes a source of concern for
the governments and peoples of the whole world.
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April - June 2013