Traffic Fines

Hi Aminah0502,

Yes, I do know a thing or two about this subject.

First, you must note that jumping the red light at a traffic signal is considered a very serious violation of the traffic rules. It could not only endanger the driver's life, but also could result in some nasty and avoidable accidents. That is exactly why the Royal Oman Police (ROP) does not take too kindly to the offenders.

This is what happens when you jump a red light :

For the offence to get updated / uploaded on to the ROP website could take a long time. Sometimes weeks. Sometimes months. Sometimes many more months. So logging in daily to check if your offence has been recorded would be a very frustrating affair. If all else fails, the violating would be brought to light when the vehicle goes for its annual registration renewal definitely. This is for private vehicles. For company owned vehicles, when there is a fleet of say 10 vehicles, if any one of them breaks the law none of the other company vehicle's registration would get renewed until and unless the required penalties are paid and cleared in full.

Once intimated of the mistake, the driver has to go to the ROP Licensing Office in Seeb and meet with the Police Officer there. Then the offender would be show the recorded video evidence of the misdemeanor. Then depending on the complexity and seriousness of the offence and based on the Officer's discretion, the fine / punishment would be levied. For example, if the vehicle crosses the signal after about 30-seconds of changing to red, then it is considered to be more serious offence than if the vehicle were to cross the signal after 3 seconds of changing to red.  In addition, the time of the incident would make a big difference. More on that later in this response.

As you may be aware, recently the fine for jumping a red light (and all traffic violations) have been increased ten-fold to make the roads of Oman safer. I quote here : “Jumping a red light is among the most severe of traffic violations, where the offending driver risks a jail sentence of up to a year and a fine of up to OMR500, or one of these punishments,” Major Zaid bin Mohammed Al Hosni, Head of the Violations Administration at the General Directorate of Traffic at the ROP, said in the statement.

For smaller signal jumping offences, a cash fine would be levied. For more serious violations, the vehicle would be impounded and would be parked in the ‘quarantine' / ‘cool-off' area at the ROP yard. The duration could vary anywhere between a few days to a few weeks, and sometimes even a few months. Or, imprisonment of the driver who committed the mistake. And it does not end there. The ROP would give all the offenders a form, printed only in Arabic, which the driver has to sign. This is for the first time violators. The form essentially says that if the driver ever repeats the same mistake of jumping red signal, then he / she can be hauled to jail without any further ado !

Now coming to my story, I jumped a red light once quite recently. It was as early as 05:30 in the morning. The roads were empty. And the previous 2 signals were blinking amber. So without realising that the third signal was functional, I drove by at a very nominal / slow speed. Only when the flash zapped did I realise that the signal was on ! But by then it was too late.

Fortunately, my mistake was ‘pardoned' (I guess !!) given the fact that it was rather early in the day (and it was still dark), and the roads were empty without any other vehicle around, plus the previous 2 signals were not working yet (which I am not sure if the ROP would have known).

Unfortunately, my colleague who too jumped a red light elsewhere in Muscat around the same time I did, was not ‘pardoned'. His vehicle was impounded for a period of 4-days. And he paid a cash fine as well.

Dear Mr. Sumitran,

I'm so grateful for your response. Thank you so much for the very helpful insight, we had the same experience you had as well, it was 1:00am in the morning and he was driving slow in a pedestrian lane with stoplight, we were just suprised that the camera clicked in and the red light was on. It was a quick incident. Just like your experience, he didn't meant to cross the red light.  Alright, yes he violated the law, we won't deny that, but people quickly judge that he's a disgusting person that could hurt people in the future.
I'm saying this because  I posted the same enquiry to a facebook page but everyone was like judging negatively saying he should suck up what happened and people violating the law shouldn't give the right to drive, they are harmful and so on, I wasn't saying that what my friend did was right, but We were just hoping to get some insights to others who have the same experience and ofcourse to get ready for what the things would happen. But the people on that page was mean I'm so sorry to say that
I do believe that not all expats here would actually purposely disobey or not follow traffic rules, We are also not gaining sympathy of what worse could happen, but just atleast people could tell what could be the situation.
I say not all bec sometimes incidents could happen and just like your experience it just happen so quick beyond control. We also don't wish to harm anyone.
Thank you so much for sharing. With all the things and insights that you have mentioned, atleast it helps us out to get the idea of what will happen and to accept the charges and learnt from it.

Thank you again. And all the best.

Hi,
Today I was driving along the area where we enter to ruwi coming from wuttayah. There is a small signal . I stopped there because no lights were indicated and even change in light was not visible . I stopped for 2min or more then I moved from there. Camera didn't flashed . Even ROP websites didn't listed any fine. I am not sure if I jumped signal?
Pls guide.

Hi Rabaah,

If the signal was in red and you crossed it, then it is a violation.

And if you cross the signal when it is showing red, then the camera would flash.

Where exactly is the place where you think you jumped the signal ?

Be specific. Give some landmarks to know the exact spot.

Your post is vague.

hi i need a help to know i was in ruwi honda road the new trafic light near bp patrol pump my speed was 80 and the trafic light start blinking when i reach the mark point it turned yellow i did hit the brake but it was too late i didnt get any flash coz there is no camera but there is vedio cam on trafic light guide please

Hi samiboy95,

The time of occurrence would be a key criteria in deciding whether you would get fined / penalised, or not.

Did you cross while the signal was in 'Red'. Then it is an offense.

Else, you can be given a waiver.

Dear Sir,

Today I have come from muttrah to ruwi and I wanted to come back at ruwi roundabout (Taxi point) undrflyover I didnt realise that there is signal though I managed to stop second lane at parallel to the signal but before the roundbout line at the time I was not able to see the signal therfore I was waiting for the few seconds after I have moved the car when the backside vehicles started horn.
While coming the roundabout left therewas signal that I have not realized but my wife was telling it was red signal therefore I manged to take again left and went stright...

there was no flashed by camera but I think vidro recorder there.

I have taken licence week ago and this is company rental car.

Please advise what problem I will face

Hi babu1987,

Not able to make head or tails about the 'accident' location - from your description.

If you are referring to the Ruwi Roundabout by the O.C. Centre, then that signal has not one, but 4 traffic signals and all 4 signals have multiple covering cameras.

If no flash was spotted then it is hopefully assumed that your violation has not been captured.

There is nothing much one can do as a violator until word comes from the ROP. This could take from weeks to months. Many times, for lesser violations it would be automatically cancelled / pardoned.

Thanks for your postive response sir.

Regards
Babu

Jumping traffic signal fine will show in website you have to go rop quorum or seeb and take traffic fine detail

How long does the red light jump take to upload on website?

Thank you ur information is very useful but I want some clarity for one of my friend he was going on green light as per best of his knowledge but he got a flash as per him how can we check it is red plate Car given by Company

He got flashed due to overspeadin. Its like normal camera 10 omr fine

I worried about red signal jump, on Thursday evening i was about to travel muttrah from ruwi street . there is a signal in darsait , my car in lane 3 to move straight to muttrah, i stop my car for red signal as before the line. i was standing first in lane 3. As iam sure about after green signal  i move my car forward to the straight. But flash as come, am confused about the flash is for me, or some other vehicle ,or the flash for speed or for jumping signal . If it so then how much time it will take to update in ROP website, Upto now showing no offence is registered.

please need your suggestion.

Hai sir what happened to you on the above subject because even the same happened to me too

Some advice please ... early this morning I went through traffic lights , i was approaching it quite quickly and it turned to orange , I went through on orange , but not on red. It seemed to flash behind me.

The signal was alsarooj lights on the very far Shatti / Qurum end of the 18th November street near the shell garage.

I may well have been exceeding 60kmh ( the speed limit) so a friend of mine has suggested to me it may have been a flash for speeding , not red light.

Please can you advise on this?

Hi GB1,

If you had jumped the signal, the camera would have flashed only if your vehicle had crossed the signal, after the light had changed to red. But that does not seem to be the case from what you have mentioned.

Your friend's reading seems to be more likely; the camera would have trapped you for overspeeding.

Hi Anna

I read all the threads regarding the red lights in this forum. Please advise me as my situation is little different.

Qurum signal morning 6AM on 14.09.19

I was on the Qurum signal the lane adjacent to the Nissan show room. I have to take a U-turn and take the expressway. I was in the extreme left lane and mine was the first car waiting for the signal to turn green for the U-turn. (I cross this signal everyday during daytime. Usually the signal will be open for minimum of 30 seconds.) Expecting that, when my signal turn green i went straight and then took the u-turn but the signal to enter the expressway turned red. I realized it too late but i stopped the car. Half of my car was out of the stop line, the camera flashed. Then immediately i reversed my car and went back to the stop line. I waited for the signal to turn green and entered the expressway. Will this action be considered as a red signal jump?

During the daytime the signal will be open for the complete U-turn for 30 seconds. Since i cross this everyday i did not expect the signal to turn red within 10 seconds. I now understand that during early hours they reduce the duration for each signal.

Will my action be considered as a red signal jump?.  I saw the red light and then i stopped immediately. Only fault is half of my car is outside the stop line which activated the camera and the light flashed. I did not crossed the red signal. Realizing my mistake i went back to the stop line and waited for the signal to turn green. The signal on my right side got cleared only after i reversed back to the stop line. Having seen that my calculation is, i might have crossed the stop line after 3 to 6 seconds after the light turned red. Also my speed is very less, my car stopped immediately without any skidding.

When should i go and check with ROP for this fine? Some people said i have to wait for two working days then go and check with the Qurum ROP. Can anyone advise me on this please?

Regards
Manick

Hi
I was going to cornish from darsait lulu signal there are 4 lanes there i was going streight when all the signal was green but i got flashed for no reason can u suggest me what to do

Hi There,

Today I was driving in Mabella signal near Al qabaeel and I crossed the zebra line it was amber (yellow) and then it became red and that time I was already middle of the road to cross. There was no camera flashed. Also I don't see any offence registered in ROP website. So I don't know yet that it was an offence or not. Can some one help to understand if it has an offence or not. Also I just got my license 4 months back. is there any other way to verify of it is an offence or not.

@bhaskarb1983

On Sunday or Monday check on your ROP application to see if you have been issued a fine or not. If you crossed the stop lines before the amber started flashing, then you're clear of any fine.

@bhaskarb1983 yOu must go to the nearest ROP office and ask them to check in their system. yOu can only collect the red signal information over their.