Nothing is ever as easy as it could be in Qatar… but in saying that I remember dealing with government departments in Australia who love employing processes that are as equally redundant and time consuming.
The process for obtaining an accident report from the Dept of Traffic Investigations is a little confusing for those of us that cannot read Arabic. The first step seems to be working out actually which Dept of Traffic and Police you need to go to (and I still have no idea if it actually makes any difference). We were lucky because the policeman from the other night wrote a telephone number on the back of the little yellow slip of paper he gave us … the same slip of paper I was required to produce somewhere at 9am Sunday. I found the number listed as being for the Old Airport Traffic Dept, so with help of more than one map I was able to make my way there by the required “9am”.
After walking up to what more or less looked like an run down and abandoned building, I worked out up a few stairs and to the left were a couple of queues… when in doubt join a queue until you can figure out somewhere better to be! After shuffling along a couple of steps backwards and forwards, to the side and then back again, I worked out no one in these queues had the same little yellow slip of paper as I did so I went in search of some new queues to join. Someone pointed me in the direction of magical door #2 (didn’t have a number on it, but there were 3 doors). Behind door #2 was lots of people sitting and basically walking back and forth was various forms in their hands. When in doubt jump in a queue! After a little while I finally had the chance to use my rather good English skills by waving my rather prized little yellow slip of paper (still hadn’t seen anyone else with one so I was beginning to feel a little special)… The policeman behind the counter asked “accident?” which I replied to with a nice well pronounced “yes” followed quickly by a “where?”… he then proceeded to point and say “left and left and straight” in very good English, so I gave him a badly pronounced “shukran” (probably should have stuck to English!)
After following the various people around I came to a corridor with another magical room at the end. This was the room of crowds waving similar little slips of paper as mine although I didn’t see any yellow ones so I was still feeling special (special actually translates to not having any idea what to do and actually feeling very alien). After watching what was going on in what I thought was something resembling a queue a nice Indian guy arrived with the same yellow slip of paper, finally a brother in arms! We compared slips and then he showed me that everyone else was handing over their various coloured slips of papers with their licenses to any policeman that came within a metre of the desk, so being a wuss I let him go first! Finally when it was my turn I handed over my paper and license and got another couple of papers and license in return with a “ok, fine, go” and hand waving away from the policeman.
Now being a bright kinda guy I guessed, “ok, fine, go” and wave towards the door meant just that. When I got home I rang the rental car company and was told that I need two forms and stamps????? I told the guy on the phone I have one 2-page form and no stamps… I was told not very politely that I need to go back for another round of confusion… not happy!
Anyway this morning I went back like an old pro… went back to the crowded room and followed the first guy that walked out with the same police issued papers as me. This led me to the first room I went to the previous day… but this time there were lots of people with the same forms as me, comparing and then some would go away and some would come back. The guy in front of me spoke Arabic and understood hand signals, so I pointed to our que and asked “stamp” with the appropriate hand gesture, which I was given some form of positive response… I was on the right track!
After a while the guy in front of me discussed some things with the Qatari in front of him… then he did what most seemed to be doing and walked off. Then on his return he looked at my papers, showed me his which were now adorned with what looked like postage stamps… he led me by the arm through the main doors (magical door #2 from the previous day for those who are following this), and pointed down the end.
After walking down with my papers showing some guy asked “Stamp?” I was then led into another section where my 2 pages were given little 5 Riyal stamps each, which I had to pay 12 QAR for (who knows). I was on a roll so I headed back to join my first queue once again. Long que, outside, very hot! Anyway finally got to see what was going on… you hand over your papers with the little postage-looking stamps on them, the guy checks his computer to see if you have any fines owing. If you do, you have to pay them on the spot or you don’t get you red ink stamp… we have no fines so we don’t have to pay for the special red stamp. To show you how special the red stamp is, if you don’t have it the policemen in the crowded room don’t look at your papers again… You have to get them to give you a final black stamp and signature before the room and desk visiting process ends. The policemen explained to me that I did have the two forms required (not one form with 2 pages as I had thought the previous day).
Once the process is actually finished it all seems far more simple than it does while you are going through it and goes like this:
- The little yellow slip of paper (I think) means the accident was not your fault.
- This little slip of paper is accompanied by a computer record, which is made by the attending officer. You go to the Accident Investigations section and hand over your slip of paper with your license and the police type up the accident report… two forms – one for the insurance and one for the workshop, which allows them to carry out repairs.
- You then have to get a little stamp on both forms (the one that looks like a postage stamp). Expect to pass over some cash for these.
- You then have to get the red-ink stamp that says you have no outstanding traffic fines. If you have fines, you have to pay them on the spot electronically; no cash accepted.
- You then go back to the Accident Investigations section and the police sign and stamp both forms for you.
If someone had told me this to start off with it would have been far easier! By the way, while the whole process is somewhat intimidating, the police are quite polite and casual about everything, and there is always at least one or two other people going through exactly the same thing and will give a hand if they can.
Thought for the day:
Join a queue! It will always lead you somewhere
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