Dubai: A senior official has called on drivers and other road-users to follow traffic rules.
"We call on motorists to respect and commit themselves to traffic laws and regulations and maintain excellent road manners and respect all road users," Chief Traffic Prosecutor Salah Bu Farousha, Head of Dubai Traffic Public Prosecution, said Saturday.
"We will relentlessly pursue lawbreakers, press charges against them and forward them to traffic court to be prosecuted. Our main aim is to combat lawbreakers and enforce traffic laws across Dubai," Bu Farousha said.
His statements followed the issuing of traffic statistics for the first three months of this year, during which 1,025 driving licences were impounded.
In 251 cases the licences were revoked for driving under the influence of alcohol.
Bu Farousha said when a traffic court issues an order to revoke a licence, they immediately contact the Roads and Transport Authority to execute the judgment.
The chief traffic prosecutor earlier told Gulf News: "This year we started revoking driving licences electronically… through a unified e-system between us and the RTA and Dubai Police. This process helped us save time."
Bu Farousha said more than 410 individuals challenged the charges against them in the first quarter. Last year 1,000 people took this route.
Deadly
The latest statistics show that traffic prosecutors registered 1,670 cases that involved 57 deaths, 290 cases of drink driving and 195 cases of driving without licence.
"Out of the 57 deaths, 11 of them were Emiratis, six of whom had themselves caused the accidents. As for the breakdown of cases of unlicensed drivers, 29 were Pakistanis, 28 were Indians and 24 were Chinese," said Bu Farousha.
Part of the public prosecution's goals this year, Bu Farousha said, is to continue spreading awareness concerning safe driving, road safety and good on-road manners. The ultimate goal is to clear the emirate's roads of dangerous and reckless motorists.
"Based on Dubai Attorney General Essam Eisa Al Humaidan's directives, the TPP continues to teach the traffic academic course Safe and Legal Driving… hundreds of students have benefited from the course at Dubai Men's College and Fujairah Men's College in the past two years. This year we will teach the course to 575 students at Fujairah Women's College," he added.
Getting into trouble
- 1,025 licences were revoked in the first quarter this year
- 251 of those cases involved drink driving
- 1,025 licenses impounded
- 251 driving under the influence of alcohol
- 57 deaths
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