MoI calls on water scooter users to strictly adhere to maritime safety rules
If you go to any beach sides in Qatar in the evenings, you will likely be greeted with sights of youngsters dashing after one another in high-powered water scooters.
It is often unsafe to themselves as well as other beachgoers as they rarely stick to rules or follow safety aspects.
However, Qatar’s Ministry of Interior has called for users of water scooters to strictly adhere to rules and requirements of maritime safety.
A recent study, conducted by the MoI’s General Administration of the Coast Guard and Border, revealed that most accidents of water scooters happened due to severe violations including high speed, reckless driving, lack of caution and failure to follow official instructions, reported Gulf Times.
The study found that the use of water scooters in Qatar had increased manifold over the past few years, requiring users to ensure the security and safety conditions for these scooters before use.
The study stressed the importance of riders to put safety first and thrill next as racing and galloping on the waves often lead to serious injuries and in some cases, death, according to The Peninsula.
The Ministry urged users to leave a safe distance between water scooters in the marine area to avoid a collision or fatal injuries. If large water scooters are used, the engine must be switched off before reaching the coast.
The General Administration of the Coast Guard and Border warned that the misuse of scooters could lead to undesirable consequences, citing some penalties applied to violators, including seizure of the scooter for a period not exceeding three months.
The ministry also said that rescue patrols were continuously present on various Qatari beaches in order to provide assistance and ensure the safety of swimmers, reported Qatar Tribune.
