Dubai Over 14,000 residents in Dubai are using registered car pools to commute between home and office, a top official has said.
Speaking to XPRESS, Eisa Abdul Rahman Al Hashemi, Director Planning and Development at the Public Transport Agency, RTA (Roads and Transport Authority) said these car pools ply mainly between residential areas and the commercial business district and vice-versa. “The most common car pool destinations include Jebel Ali, Media City, Internet City and Knowledge Village.
“We also have people pooling cars to Abu Dhabi and other emirates,” he added.
Warning the public against using illegal car lift services, he said car pooling is legal only when it is registered with the RTA’s online Sharekni service and no money is exchanged. “Cash exchange is not allowed between the passengers and the car owner; however, the car owner can be compensated by paying for the fuel and toll fees.”
He said RTA is going all out to increase the number of car poolers as it has many benefits. “Our target for 2014 is 15,500. The objective is not only to reduce overall traffic congestion on the roads, but also improve parking availability, save fuel, reduce pollution and raise the average occupancy per car by reducing single passenger car trips.”
He said by pooling cars to work, residents can also lower driving-related stress and be more socially connected with each other.
He said the procedure for registering car pools is free and simple. “You can register on the Sharekni website as a driver or passenger and the system through its comprehensive search engine will optimise and recommend a suitable partner. The information on the contact will be sent to the driver and passenger to agree on sharing the trip and then a permit is issued from the system.”
Regular inspections
He said car poolers must present permits whenever required or risk being fined. He added RTA has been taking efforts to prevent illegal transport through regular inspections and campaigns.
Beware illegal car poolers
According to Eisa Abdul Rahman Al Hashemi, car pooling in legal only if it is registered with the RTA’s Sharekni service and no money is exchanged. “The penalty for an illegal car lift provider is Dh5,000 on the first offence and deportation on the second offence. The action against passengers who avail such services is under review,” he said.
For more details, go to http://www.sharekni.ae
