Wednesday 24 / April / 2024
MUSCAT: Public and private sector companies, associations, individuals and wilayats have the chance to submit their creations and innovations for the Royal Oman Police’s (ROP’s) Traffic Safety Competition, which is now open for participation.
The competition, for which submissions and participation ends on July 31, 2017, is aimed at involving the society in promoting the practices of traffic safety to prevent further accidents, as well as encourage private sector companies and association partnerships to create awareness about the issue.
Generally the submissions must be clear about the goals they are trying to achieve, as well as their tie up with the competition’s objectives. The projects must be operational and should have actually had an impact on preventing traffic accidents.
Participants have been asked to submit their work and ideas by July 31, 2017 and the projects must have been operational from October 18, 2015 to become eligible for participation.
Four categories
Participants will be divided into four categories: Public and Private Sector, Individuals, Associations, such as charitable associations, art associations, women’s guild etc., and Wilayats.
Public and private sector establishments and associations’ projects must follow at least one aspect to ensure them a top place win.
They should be projects that serve society and help prevent traffic accidents; projects that involve preparing and implementing awareness projects and traffic education and have a big impact on society are another type.
Individuals should submit projects that are implemented for creating awareness about traffic to prevent traffic accidents. Create programmes, awareness materials or technologies for traffic safety, which can be used whenever deemed necessary; and any other creations, which contributes to preventing accidents that are being implemented or are still in production.
“The ROP will buy the winners’ creations and innovations and claim ownership. The projects may very well help the ROP in tackling the accident issue,” said a senior ROP official.
He said the winners will receive cash prizes while public and private sector companies will receive certificates and a traffic safety trophy for the first place winner.
“The individual winner will get OMR5,000, while the association winner will receive OMR7,000,” said the police official.
Second and third place winners will win OMR3,000 and OMR2,000 will be awarded to the person in the third spot in the individual category.
The cash prize for second and third place for associations is OMR5,000 and OMR3,000, respectively.
Traffic safety board
When the Times of Oman asked how wilayats are expected to participate, the ROP official said wilayats have a traffic safety board and they have to come up with their projects like everybody else, so they will be competing against other wilayats across the Sultanate.
The first, second and third prize for wilayats is OMR40,000, OMR30,000 and OMR20,000, while the rest will receive OMR5,000 for their efforts.
“Of course raising awareness is not enough, but it is one of the tools we have; and we have to make full use of it,” said the ROP official. According to data from the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), 54 people died in traffic accidents in May 2016, which included 33 Omanis and 21 expatriates.
Those who would like to participate must visit traffic.gov.om, email [email protected] or call 24510809 to inquire about the competition.
