October 21, 2013

The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) and the Ministry of Telecommunications (MOT), held on Friday October 18, 2013, a workshop about ICT and Road Safety, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. The workshop brought together a large number of stakeholders and specialists from both the public and private sectors such as representatives from the Internal Security Forces, representatives from the telecommunications sector, engineers, universities and several concerned NGOs, to discuss road safety problems and develop recommendations and solutions to mitigate the risks related to the use of ICT while driving.

Dr. Imad Hoballah, TRA Acting Chairman and CEO, moderated the workshop and gave a speech in which he highlighted the importance of finding solutions to the risks affecting our families and society when using ICT while driving. Captain Michel Moutran from ISF gave a presentation about the risks of using mobile phones while driving and the possible resolutions, and Eng. Mohamad Ayoub, TRA Senior Spectrum Management Expert gave a presentation about the harmonization of the 79 GHz frequency band for automotive radars.

The workshop was followed by a press conference where HE. Minister Nicolas Sehnaoui declared Ms. Haifa Wehbe Ambassador of Telecommunications for Humanitarian Causes and Dr. Hoballah announced the recommendations of the workshop . The press conference was marked by the presence of HE. Minister Nicolas Sehnaoui, Dr. Imad Hoballah, TRA acting chairman and CEO, Ms. Haifa Wehbe and a large audience of stakeholders and media representatives.

The workshop was held within the framework of the International Telecommunication Union(ITU) initiative to develop the latest ICT standards in relation to intelligent transportation systems and the safety of drivers and passengers in addition to improving driving performance by eliminating straying factors related to ICT technologies. ITU Council adopted the "Information and Communication Technology and Road Safety " theme for the international day of Telecommunication and Information Society in 2013 .

To view the press release, click here
To view the recommendations in English click here
To view the recommendations in Arabic click here
To View TRA presentation, click here
To view Dr. Hoballah’s speech, click here