UAE | Traffic and Transport
Dubai petrol attendants work 24 hours
Petrol stations were one of the hardest-hit victims of on Monday's shutdown, when more than 95 per cent of Dubai's 700,000 registered vehicles took a day of rest.
- By Emmanuelle Landais and Abbas Al Lawati, Staff Reporters
- Published: 15:13 January 14, 2008
- Shaikh Zayed Road was closed in the morning, leaving Dubai's busiest road empty.
- Image Credit: Karl Jeffs/Gulf News
Dubai: Petrol stations were one of the hardest-hit victims of on Monday's shutdown, when more than 95 per cent of Dubai's 700,000 registered vehicles took a day of rest.
Dubai has one of the highest per capita vehicle numbers in the world - one for every two people, although a majority of the emirate's 1.44 million inhabitants are labourers.
No-show
There are about 100 Enoc and Eppco service stations in Dubai, each employing at least ten people on an average. In total, about 1,000 people manned these outlets without a seeing a single customer until 3.30pm.
Officially, they were open but, until 5pm, some had not done any business .
"There have been no customers since morning. They have started coming only now," an attendant at a petrol station near Jumeirah said and added that the usual daily sales of the outlet were Dh50,000-Dh60,000.
Khalid Hadi, group brand and marketing manager, said he could not provide an estimate of the drop in sales because the offices were closed.
At the same time, gasoline retailers in other emirates had brisk business.
Petrol attendants at a filling station in Al Barsha, Dubai, were forced to work for 24 hours straight due to road closures, Gulf News has learnt.
Due to minimal access to thoroughfares, some petrol stations had told their staff they would have to work longer than their normal eight-hour shifts, since buses bringing replacement staff would not be able to get from accommodation camps to the stations.
"We are supposed to be working eight hours but we have been told that we will be working 24 hours straight because my boss is not coming and the buses with my colleagues will not get through," an attendant in Al Barsha told Gulf News.
"There aren't that many cars though, because we are near the closed road and no one is coming here. I will have to work for a lot longer and I am tired but there is nothing else they can do," he said.
Share this article
Related Articles
-
Bush spends the day in Dubai
US President Bush arrives in Dubai
-
President's speech 'can only be positive step forward'
President's speech 'can only be positive step forward'
-
Bush stresses Iranian threat
Bush stresses Iranian threat
-
Khalifa and Bush discuss regional issues
Khalifa and Bush discuss regional issues and explore ways to boost ties
-
UAE welcomes visiting US president
UAE welcomes US president on regional tour
-
Audio: Bush's speech in Abu Dhabi
Audio: US President George W. Bush's speech in Abu Dhabi
-
Full text of speech
Text of US President Bush's speech in Abu Dhabi
-
Bush arrives in Abu Dhabi
Bush to reach out to Iranians
-
Bush: Iran is leading sponsor of terror
Iran world's leading state sponsor of terrorism, says Bush
More from UAE Traffic and Transport
More from UAE
Popular in UAE
-
Your pictures
Readers' pictures
The best reader pictures from around the UAE this week
Latest news
- Protect our children's health
- Rain hits parts of Dubai and Sharjah
- Shaikh Mohammad leaves for UK
- Ex-minister acquitted of defrauding woman
- Student tackles used cooking oil
- Road accidents the leading cause of brain injuries in Dubai
- No one wants to teach
- Notary phone bookings to start next month
- Move abandoned vehicles out of the way
- DIFF function to raise funds for Aids charity
- Seven held trying to fly from Abu Dhabi illegally
- Haj mission's H1N1 measures lauded
- Employer prosecuted for false accusation
- Number of Saudi students rises
- Petrol fumes at gas stations are threat to health
Community Reports
-
Protect our children's health
Dust and dirt from a nearby road are causing problems to those frequenting Al Nasseriya park, Sharjah.
-
Keeping out curious cats in Abu Dhabi
Felines trapped in electrical substations create a nuisance
-
Construction site turned into dump
Sharjah residents using abandoned spot to dispose of waste
-
Stop disregarding road rules
Gulf News reader calls on authorities to curb reckless driving during rush hours in Mussafah industrial area underpass
