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
- Image Credit: Karl Jeffs/Gulf News
- Shaikh Zayed Road was closed in the morning, leaving Dubai's busiest road empty.
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.
Related Links
- Bush spends the day in Dubai
- President's speech 'can only be positive step forward'
- Bush stresses Iranian threat
- Khalifa and Bush discuss regional issues
- UAE welcomes visiting US president
- Audio: Bush's speech in Abu Dhabi
- Full text of speech
- Bush arrives in Abu Dhabi
- Bush: Iran is leading sponsor of terror
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.
More from UAE Traffic and Transport
More from UAE
Latest news
- Youngsters dance and raise cash for charity
- Dubai departments upgrade services
- Get yourself a free test for diabetes
- Ensuring a safety net for intellectual property
- Reader's issue addressed
- 5,552 illegals held in Dubai this year
- Man cleared because he took drugs in France
- Man charged with trafficking women
- Auditors to probe Mizin graft case
- Breaking down cultural barriers with photographs
- Abu Dhabi Crown Prince visits Islamic centre
- Police's secret source scheme reaps rewards
- Transfusion centre launches new toll free number
- Mirror, mirror show me the way
- Smart e-Gate system launched
Community Reports
-
Mirror, mirror show me the way
Driver on Salam Street had so many boxes and fruits piled into car, he would not be able to view rear or right side mirrors
-
Parents should be more vigilant
Reader's picture highlights risk of negligence by caretakers
-
Warming up to ‘Mobilise the Earth' theme
Dubai school dedicates a whole week to celebrating Earth Day with can-collection drives, sapling plantation and painting competition among others
-
Drivers using mobiles put others' lives at risk
Speeding is dangerous for the driver and other motorists
