Letters: November 21, 2009

First steps
Wherever you go in Abu Dhabi, you will find people carrying cameras, shooting either a moving object or scenery. The ‘Abu Dhabi Through Your Eyes 2009’ competition and several other photography competitions with huge sums of prize money have given a sudden boost to passionate photographers. One could find photography enthusiasts risking their lives to take the perfect shot on the newly opened road to Yas Island. What caught my attention was a father who was taking photos of his child taking his first few steps on a street. I noticed this cute boy on the street, trying to climb onto the footpath. A closer look drew my attention to his father, who was capturing his progress on camera. I did not want to miss the action, so I parked my car and took pictures of them both. It was one of the most joyous moments I have witnessed in the recent past. Children are watched closely during their first few steps, but it seems they launch on their own toward a wonderful life ahead.
From Mr Ramesh Menon
Abu Dhabi

Traffic snarls
The Dubai Metro is one of the best things that has happened to the city. It provides the best means of public transport. But, the public is reluctant to use it due to the lack of feeder bus transport services from or to their final destinations. The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) may claim that numerous articulated buses are in service for this purpose, however, the weather does not encourage anyone to walk for even a few metres, especially during the summer. RTA could instead have introduced a shuttle service to and from Metro stations. Such vehicles could service a particular neighbourhood and even introduce a ‘call and pick up’ service similar to taxis. I have seen on several occasions at least three articulated buses travelling and blocking the entire stretch of a street. This creates more chaos on already congested roads. Avoiding these buses from stopping at every bus stop will surely reduce traffic snarls within the city limits.
From Mr Badr Al Deen
Sharjah

Spare us
What do we do when one of our favourite teams or our national team wins a prestigious match (“Egyptians to fight another day”, Gulf News, November 16)? We call and congratulate each other, or organise a party and dance to our heart’s content. There are various ways to express our joy in a civilised and private manner. But, some people choose to drive around the city, sounding their car’s horn all the time. Year after year, residents of Al Rigga Road have to witness this ‘celebration.’ Scores of cars block traffic and motorists then dance on the roads, waving their country’s flags. When Egypt beat Algeria in a recent soccer match, we witnessed this yet again from 11.30pm to 12.45am. Why are the residents forced to participate in their ‘celebration?’ Spare us, please.
From Ms Vandita Kumar
Dubai

Fresh perspective
I am visiting Abu Dhabi for the first time and am very impressed by the cleanliness in the city. The wide footpaths, bus bays and parks are all spotless. On either side of every street, there are high-rise buildings, which add to the beauty of this dream land. My salutations to the authorities.
From Mr Sivarama Krishnan
Abu Dhabi

Unexpected turns
I appreciate the Sharjah authorities for continuously working to control traffic congestion in the city. However, the core issue is the lack of easy access to the road leading to Dubai. For example, to get to Sharjah Ring Road, vehicles coming from the city have to take an unexpected turn near a mall on Al Ittihad Road and the road narrows down to one lane. The situation is the same for the traffic leading to Sharjah from Dubai through other flyovers which have minimal lanes. A solution would be to connect the Al Khan area to the Sharjah Ring Road and increase the number of lanes per exit. I hope the authorities will take my suggestion into consideration, for smooth traffic flow in our beautiful city.
From Mr K. V. Shams Al Deen
Sharjah