On the first day of the “flexible working hours” test in Kuwait, it was successful in reducing traffic congestion at certain times but failed to completely eliminate traffic congestion, especially during peak hours in the holy month of Ramadan. The application of the new working hours system was smooth on the first day, with state employees entering and exiting work using a fingerprint system, and no complaints reported. However, the absence of over 90% of school students led to further relief in traffic.
The Ministry of Interior has taken additional measures to avoid congestion on the country’s roads. The ministry is preparing an integrated traffic study on the pros and cons of “flexible working hours” after its implementation, to discuss it with responsible government agencies, and assess the extent to which the new system benefits the field traffic sectors.
Major Abdullah Bu Hassan of the Public Relations and Traffic Awareness Department at the General Traffic Department said that the department’s leaders monitor traffic movement around the clock to assess the traffic situation and determine how flexible working hours contribute to easing traffic jams. A traffic security plan for the month of Ramadan was divided into four sections to tighten traffic control in all regions of the country.
The attendance and commitment of the Ministry of Health employees on the first day of Ramadan amounted to more than 98 percent, with strict control systems in place. Working hours on the first day of Ramadan were normal and flexible to a large extent in the Ministry of Works, with an attendance rate of over 70%. The Ministry of Electricity and Water also reported an attendance rate of over 80%.
The increase in flexible working hours contributed to reducing traffic congestion for employees, but it did not eliminate it entirely
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