UAE | Traffic and Transport

Dubai Metro ride turns sour for resident

Her ordeal started on December 27, when she took her sister, who was visiting from Syria, on the Metro.

By Ashfaq Ahmed, Chief Reporter
Published: 00:00 February 3, 2010

Image Credit: Gulf News Archive

Dubai: Avelyn Faris Haddad, who went for a joy ride on Dubai Metro with her family, has been trying in vain for more than a month to contest a fine issued during her journey.

Her ordeal started on December 27, when she took her sister, who was visiting from Syria, on the Metro. Her 20-year-old son also accompanied them. They got Gold Class Cards and they boarded the train from Mall of the Emirates Station.

It was a wonderful journey in the VIP compartment until a metro inspector turned up and checked their cards in routine and found out that one of the cards was not charged.

"I was shocked to hear when the female inspector told me that I would be fined for non-payment of fare on one card," Haddad, a sales manager in a jewellery shop in the Mall of the Emirates, told Gulf News.

She said she explained to the inspectors that they were three passengers with three cards with enough money to travel and it was not her fault that one of the cards did not work at the machine.

Defence

"Also, I tried to explain to her that she has grown up children and belongs to well-off family and that she was on the train only to entertain her visiting sister," she said, adding that she could not even think of ‘cheating' for only Dh6.

But, she said the inspector was determined to issue fine and refused to listen to her explanation.

Haddad also called the police officer on duty but was disappointed to hear when the policeman said the issue was beyond his jurisdiction.

"On my refusal to pay fine on the spot and my intention to contest it, the inspector took my sister's driving licence and gave us a mobile number to get it back after the final decision is taken," she said.

Haddad called up Dubai Roads and Transport Authority's toll free number 8009090 and lodged the complaint.

She was promised an answer within three days but she has been calling the number since that day and also went to the RTA's main Customer Service Centre to follow her case but in vain.

Principle

"It is not about Dh200 fine rather it is a matter of principles as I don't want to pay a wrong fine," she said.

"I don't know where to go to contest because there is no system in place to complain against adamant metro inspectors and undue fines and there seems to be lack of co-ordination between the RTA and the Serco — the company which operates Metro and also issues fines," she noted.

Reaction: Complaints tracked

Dr Aisha Al Busmait, Director the RTA Customer Service Centres Department said the RTA answers any complaint within a maximum of seven days. She said all RTA's Customer Service Centre has Customer Relations Management (CRM) systems installed and every complainant gets the answer in due course. "We have a complaint tracking system in place as well," she said, adding that she would look into this particular case.

Sources in the RTA told Gulf News that a number of other people have also complained in the past against the behaviour of Metro inspectors and the strict policy of issuing penalties regardless of consideration of the circumstances.

Following such complaints, the RTA also asked Serco to replace all the expatriate inspectors with Emiratis, who are currently on board the trains to issue fines.

Have you received a fine? Did you face any difficulties when paying the fine?

Comments (53)

Added 15:21 February 3, 2010

There are a quite few points which RTA should consider. Acknowledge there is no substitute to Manpower and I am sure it will cost a fraction of the total monies spent on technology. It also creates job opportunities and this will also solve unemployment problems.

Anonymous, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 14:52 February 3, 2010

basically, most metro inspecters think that the system has no flaws in it, but sometimes such complicated systems get technical glitches so thats why when there is a problem the passenger is immideiately fined. Inspectors should be able to check whether if the person is at fault or the system itself, not just going around the metro and printing out fines for passengers, those passengers should be taken care of in a good way, and offending them by saying they didnt want to pay a really small amount of money to get into the gold class is just a disgrace.

Anonymous, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 14:47 February 3, 2010

Very unfortunate, staff needs to be trained before issuing a fine. similar thing happened to me in London but the officer didnt impose fine after investigating by conversation.

Khan, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 13:27 February 3, 2010

I was charged Dh200 too by RTA Inspector by non payment. I told him that I tagged as I enter the bus but he insist that I didn't since his detector shows that I didn't. After a lot of explanations it ends by paying 200AED. Then after a month, when i was trying to check out of the bus it shows that I'm already check in then I transferred to other machine. After tagging, i was dedcuted around 5aed and shows again check in successful. I repeated the process then after a lot of transaction i finally checked out successfuly. But Almost all of my credit was debited. I'm not sure if this is the same thing happened when an RTA fined me. I made a complain to their customer service and they told me they will give me feedback after a week. More tha a week have passed but I didn't receive any information form them. I called them again but they are telling me that the still have pendings complains since November 2009 and they are giving priority for that. They told me just wait until I receive a message from them regarding this. I guess it's not that hard to check this since they have a system. What kind of checking they are doing to take a lot of time? I not sure if they are attending to our complains but I hope they are.

Anonymous, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 13:10 February 3, 2010

So far so good, I love my everyday experience with Metro. Aside from the rush hours in the evening, they should add more trains. Please!!!!

Anonymous, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 13:08 February 3, 2010

this does not happen only to metro users/complainants. i feel that RTA should have a better way of dealing with complaints. i filed a complaint about salik afew months back and until now my issue has not been resolved. 7 days turn around time for complaints is not true. i hope that RTA would change their customer service system and make it more service oriented and they should change their people with those that would really care about customers.

Anonymous, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Added 13:05 February 3, 2010

I sympathise with the traveller, in this case she should not have been fined, when they are carrying cards for everyone with enough credit, an attempt should have been made to re-check the card instead of slapping fine. There can be mistakes by anyone. Who should be fined when there is card reading error? one way fine is not justified.

Syed J Huq, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 12:57 February 3, 2010

We are living in a advance technology. I am not able to understand why inspecters are comming inside the train for checking. as per my understanding without valid card no one can enter or exit the main gate. So, I believe there is some error in the system. RTA should modify their system.

Gulshan, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Added 12:13 February 3, 2010

Better training of staff is required .. and it goes beyond the RTA agency. Custormers can get very sensitive. If the business needs to flourish, a team of well trained and professional personnel who have a high level of communications skills should be dispatched to cater for claims and customer satisfaction. Either train or re-hire !!! Thank you GN.

Sentinel, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Added 12:12 February 3, 2010

Can anybody explain how can somebody get inside the station without swiping the card. When we swipe the card then only the gates open and we are allowed to enter. Also at all station there are Metro staff standing at these gates to see that everybody is swiping the card so there is no point of somebody entering the station without swiping the card. I belive there is some techinal error on the part of Metro which RTA has to take into consederation.

Sameer, Dubai, United Arab Emirates