Zain Mukhalfat notification

Just found out, through this blog post, about a new SERVICE being offered by Zain. Called them up and they did confirm.

The Service provider will send you a text message with details of your traffic violation (over-speeding, parking ticket etc etc). Now, activation fee (one time charge) for this service would be KD 3 and every text message they send you would be charged 250 fils.

I have absolutely no idea how this is beneficial or convenient. I am sure there are many people who don’t mind paying for convenience (I am one of them). The thing that I fail to understand is, how does this service make things convenient? How does it improve my ‘Traffic Violating’ and/or ‘Fine-Paying’ experience?

I mean, You can check your traffic violations online anyways. Receiving a text message confirming that you have been fined - kind of pointless, especially when the damn thing is going to cost you 250 fils per text.

No, it is not the amount that is of concern here. One probably blows a lot more than that on ciggs or other stuff.

The point is - why pay for something, that REALLY DOESN’T make a difference.

I am speeding, I get a text message in a few hours (or the next morning) -

"

Dear subscriber, you were over-speeding on 2nd Jan 2008 at 5:23 p.m. on the Istiqlal expressway, YOU HAVE BEEN FINED - KD 30. And now the total cost hitting you is KD 30.250.

Even if the charge for the text message was 20 fils (standard SMS charges), I would still say it is pointless, simply because, well IT IS POINTLESS.