The recent decision allowing cars that are more than 20 years old back on the roads is a welcome step. The decision taken under the instructions of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan reverts a previous directive that such cars would be banned, beginning this month.
According to the authorities, initially a total of 76,000 cars registered in 1988 and earlier were to be taken off the road as owners were asked to export them.
The newly-approved decision means that more time is given for problems posed by such cars to be dealt with and a solution to be found. The issue of banning or allowing old cars on the roads involves many factors.
Safety of course is one aspect. But if these cars are found to be safe and reliable, the ban on old cars needs to be re-considered which the recent decision has appropriately addressed.
