Traffic police in the Judea and Samaria District, operating a large-scale enforcement campaign on Thursday, were surprised to catch a Palestinian Authority taxi driver from Halhul back on the road just hours after his license had been revoked.
The 37-year-old driver was stopped at the Efrat South junction with no fewer than 11 passengers in his vehicle, despite having had his car impounded and license confiscated just three hours earlier for running a red light.
He was arrested at the scene, his vehicle was impounded for an additional 30 days, and traffic police in the Judea region initiated severe legal proceedings against him.
The case was not isolated: At the same junction, another driver from Dura, 56, was arrested while driving despite an active license suspension. A court ordered his license revoked until the completion of legal proceedings against him.
The targeted operation was carried out during all hours of the day and night, on major roads across Samaria, Judea and the Jordan Valley, with dozens of patrol units focusing on offenses known to cause traffic accidents.
The data paints a concerning picture of the regional driving culture: 54 drivers were caught texting or speaking on the phone without hands-free devices, 38 citations were issued for illegal overtaking, and 64 vehicles were found unfit for road use. Additionally, three drivers were caught without ever having obtained a license, and nine were driving vehicles they of types which they were not licensed to operate.
During the operation, police officers used administrative powers to revoke the licenses of 27 drivers who committed serious offenses, and 32 vehicles were impounded and towed to police storage lots.