Dubai: Police say they issued more than 72,000 fines in August for traffic offences such as speeding and driving without a seatbelt.
Pedestrians were also fined for crossing the road in a dangerous manner.
Lieutenant Colonel Saif Al Mazroui, Acting Director of Dubai Police's Traffic Department, said that traffic patrol personnel from Deira and Bur Dubai police stations issued 72,497 fines in August.
The fines were issued in the presence of the offenders, or in absentia. The five top offences included speeding, for which 27,817 fines were issued, closely followed by vehicles not keeping to designated lanes, which resulted in 10,263 fines. In third place, a total of 5,743 pedestrians were fined for dangerously crossing the roads.
Disrupting traffic
A total of 3,650 fines were issued to people who had disrupted traffic, and finally, 3,297 fines were issued for not wearing a seatbelt while driving.
Lieutenant Colonel Al Mazroui said Dubai Police had campaigned and patrolled extensively during Ramdan to control traffic on roads and highways. The patrol police also looked for pedestrians dangerously crossing the roads, especially since more than 12,000 fines were issued in the first half of 2010 for jaywalking.
Dubai Traffic Police said they devised several ways to decrease speeding during Ramdan, especially around iftar time. Iftar was offered at intersections in designated areas for drivers to end their fast.
Numbers
72,497 - fines issued by Dubai police in August
27,817 - speeding offences booked in August
10,263 - fined for not keeping to designated lanes
