<p>At least 16 Saudi women have received fines for taking the wheel on a day set by activists to defy the kingdom's traditional ban on female driving, police and reports said today.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Only few women braved official threats of punishment and drove yesterday in response to an online campaign headlined "Women's driving is a choice."<br /><br />"Police stopped six women driving in Riyadh, and fined them 300 riyals (USD 80) each," said the capital's police deputy spokesman, Colonel Fawaz al-Miman.<br /><br />Each of the women, along with her male guardian -- who could be a father, husband, brother, uncle, or grandson -- had to "sign a pledge to respect the kingdom's laws," Miman told AFP.<br /><br />In Jeddah, police also fined two women for driving, according to the Red Sea city's police spokesman, Nawaf al-Bouq.<br /><br />Saudi newspapers, meanwhile, reported that six women were stopped by police in Eastern Province, and at least two others were stopped in other parts of the kingdom.<br /><br />A dozen Saudi women posted videos on the Twitter account of the campaign, @oct26driving, showing themselves driving.<br /><br />Activists had originally issued a call on social media networks for women across the kingdom to drive their cars on yesterday to challenge the ban.<br /><br />Some say they received telephone calls from the interior ministry asking them to promise they would not drive on yesterday.<br /><br />On Wednesday, the ministry said it would act against anyone who attempts to "disturb public peace" by congregating or marching "under the pretext of an alleged day of female driving."<br /><br />The next day ministry spokesman General Mansur al-Turki told AFP: "It is known that women in Saudi are banned from driving and laws will be applied against violators and those who demonstrate in support" of this cause.<br /><br />Activists say yesterday was chosen as a "symbolic" date as part of efforts first launched more than a decade ago to press for the right to drive.<br /><br />The absolute monarchy is the only country in the world where women are barred from driving. Public gatherings are officially banned.</p>
<p>At least 16 Saudi women have received fines for taking the wheel on a day set by activists to defy the kingdom's traditional ban on female driving, police and reports said today.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Only few women braved official threats of punishment and drove yesterday in response to an online campaign headlined "Women's driving is a choice."<br /><br />"Police stopped six women driving in Riyadh, and fined them 300 riyals (USD 80) each," said the capital's police deputy spokesman, Colonel Fawaz al-Miman.<br /><br />Each of the women, along with her male guardian -- who could be a father, husband, brother, uncle, or grandson -- had to "sign a pledge to respect the kingdom's laws," Miman told AFP.<br /><br />In Jeddah, police also fined two women for driving, according to the Red Sea city's police spokesman, Nawaf al-Bouq.<br /><br />Saudi newspapers, meanwhile, reported that six women were stopped by police in Eastern Province, and at least two others were stopped in other parts of the kingdom.<br /><br />A dozen Saudi women posted videos on the Twitter account of the campaign, @oct26driving, showing themselves driving.<br /><br />Activists had originally issued a call on social media networks for women across the kingdom to drive their cars on yesterday to challenge the ban.<br /><br />Some say they received telephone calls from the interior ministry asking them to promise they would not drive on yesterday.<br /><br />On Wednesday, the ministry said it would act against anyone who attempts to "disturb public peace" by congregating or marching "under the pretext of an alleged day of female driving."<br /><br />The next day ministry spokesman General Mansur al-Turki told AFP: "It is known that women in Saudi are banned from driving and laws will be applied against violators and those who demonstrate in support" of this cause.<br /><br />Activists say yesterday was chosen as a "symbolic" date as part of efforts first launched more than a decade ago to press for the right to drive.<br /><br />The absolute monarchy is the only country in the world where women are barred from driving. Public gatherings are officially banned.</p>