Evolving to fit population
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has done a tremendous job in improving the road network in Dubai (‘Mohammad Bin Zayed Road expansion fails to reduce traffic’, Gulf News, June 19). The road infrastructure is the best in the region and one of the finest in the world. The thing is that the number of vehicles keeps on growing as more people use cars crossing into Dubai from Sharjah or vice versa. Increasing or expanding road networks will not solve the problem. The solution really is to extend the Metro to Sharjah to provide seamless travel between the two emirates.
From Mr Allan
UAE
Website comment
Bottlenecks causing traffic
I live near the National Paints area. I believe the bottleneck somehow is at Al Nahda exit and then the new bridge constructed at the National Paints junction. Also, on the new Emirates Road, the bottleneck is at Maliha Road exit, which is only because of trucks. Once truck restriction times are implemented, traffic on Emirates Road would be largely eliminated. The thing about many people driving alone every day is that there seems to be a fear of sharing. To go through the procedures of the RTA approved sharing is cumbersome due to various reasons. Overall, I believe the situation can be eased to a large extent if the current carpool law is relaxed a bit.
From Mr Abdul Gafoor
UAE
Website comment
Furthering infrastructure
I believe this problem has been occurring for a long time now. It can only be removed if radical change takes place. For example, a new bridge needs to be constructed from Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road to Sharjah. Right now it is a desert in that area. If they build up a bridge, it will be of great help. In my opinion, Dubai is concentrating more on construction rather than diversifying roads as well.
From Mr Omar Rinch
UAE
Website comment
No one shares
I live around the Dubai-Sharjah border and, yes, the traffic is just the way it used to be. Now, if you look around you will notice that almost all those vehicles don’t carry more than the driver. This is bad for the economy as well as the resources.
From Mr Yasser
UAE
Website comment
The effects of tolls
I’m not worried about the expanded roads, but I want to ask RTA about their decision to implement Salik on vital roads. All the campaigns to reduce traffic by implementing tolls are not working - especially on Shaikh Zayed Road and the Dubai-Sharjah road. From Mr Jameel
UAE
Website comment
Taking care of residents
Healthcare is the most important issue that can be talked about (‘UAE labour law: your right to healthcare’, Gulf News, June 18). Most private companies are ignoring health insurance, which is causing health issues in labourers who can’t even afford a visit to the doctor. The Ministry of Health should check these companies and cancel their licenses after warnings to make labour health insurance cards.
From Mr Waqar Abdul Aziz
Dubai
Facebook comment
More options at petrol stations
This is with regards to the article on the usage of wireless credit card machines at petrol pumps (‘Wireless credit card machines welcomed’, Gulf News, June 15). I totally agree that this is a good move on the part of the petrol pumps as it would reduce the waiting time. The wait at the petrol stations, especially during peak hours - that is in the mornings and the evenings, is really unimaginable. With long queues already seen at the petrol pumps, it takes more time when customers have to get out of their cars to put in their pin numbers on the credit card machines. Most credit and debit cards in the UAE are chip cards now and, for security reasons, the pin number has to be used for processing at the machines. I have been working in the retail industry for so many years and we used to face the same issues at the stores. Now we have installed wireless credit card machines at all our stores and so is the case with most of the stores in UAE. The wireless machines would make it easier for the petrol station attendant to carry the machine to the customer and thus save a lot of time. With around 70 per cent of petrol station customers using cash, according to a Gulf News poll, it is really a sensible and required move by the petrol pumps to offer more options for payment.
From Mr Ajeet Kumar S. Pillai
UAE
Indian cricketer needs rest
Mahendra Singh Dhoni of India and Mustafizur Rahman of Bangladesh were fined for breaching the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Code of Conduct (‘Mahendra Singh Dhoni hit with fine for shouldering Mustafizur Rahman’, Gulf News, June 20). In a career spanning over a decade that has seen highs and lows of all hues in 90 Tests, 263 ODIs and 50 T20Is, Dhoni had seldom given vent to frustration in public. Subdued in ecstasy, there hardly has been a time when anyone has seen him angry. If not anything else, the incident that cost him 75 per cent of the match fee shows that even someone who is usually very calm and patient can sometimes lose control.
Not linking the two, a couple of other former stars, too, expressed surprise at what happened in Mirpur. They were saying that Dhoni did react uncharacteristically. It must be after a long time that he did something like that. India’s team, that has been under pressure, was relying on him. Because of this, batsmen were running towards that end had to slow down. Had he been run out, few would have bought this argument. So Dhoni had provocation. This incident reminds me of the accidental death of one of the players in a similar manner a few months ago. But luckily here, both of them were saved unhurt. One who closely observes Dhoni can find something is lacking in him recently. It seems as if Dhoni handles things easily. But, I think he is tured of decade long of non-stop matches, and he needs to rest.
From Mr Sunny Joseph
Mala, India
Suspension necessary
Though we are fans of Dhoni, his unwarranted elbow of the rookie bowler richly deserved the punishment. In fact, for a similar offence against Shane Watson by Gautam Gambir got a one match suspension. Like the fate of Brazilian captain Neymar da Silva Santos in football, our captain should have got a one match ban. It has definitely proved that pressure is slowly catching up with these star players. With the continued poor performance, both in Tests and ODIs, Dhoni is now under pressure and no surprise that he has lost his cool.
From Mr N. Viswanathan
Virugambakkam, India
Enforce preventive measures
Why do you think people appear to not be bothered by the issue of Global Warming (‘Focus: Global Warming’, Gulf News, June 12)? Global warming has been happening for a long time and it started before humans existed. Humans have only sped up the process. We haven’t caused it, but we do contribute to it because of our need to create, explore and invent without concern for the environment.
Environmental damage is stronger than ever, but increased fears of economic meltdowns and a lack of political leadership pushed worries of a manmade environmental catastrophe from the public consciousness. There are long term concerns that may not seem imminent, but are extremely serious. There are lots of reasons people procrastinate. Ingrained behaviours are extremely resistant to permanent change while others change slowly. A substantial group of people believe climate change is not occurring or their actions would be too small to make a difference and choose to do nothing. The time is now to educate people that we have to act now to prevent problems down the road.
From Mr Shivani Singh
UAE
We need to act now!
Robert Swan, the famous environmentalist, once said: “The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.” This apathy of civil society towards the wellbeing of our planet is the main reason why people seem not to be bothered about global warming and its impacts.
Yet, we see its effects almost every day and in all parts of the world. Rising temperatures, melting ice caps and an unprecedented scale of natural disasters are all fallouts of global warming. These are Nature’s signs that we must not ignore. Global warming can no longer remain as “someone else’s” problem.
As a 15-year-old, I am aghast at this environmental apathy because we, the “future generations” are at the greatest risk. If the current trend of global warming continues unabated. By the year 2050, temperatures may very well rise by two degrees Celsius. The effects will be catastrophic! Rising sea levels will inundate millions of coastal areas, melting ice caps and glaciers will cause severe flooding, crop failure due to higher ambient temperatures will result in famines, leading to a frightening cycle of events that will put our future in jeopardy.
Raising awareness at all levels of civil society is the key to mitigating the problem of global warming. People need to realise that the onus is on us to be the change. Every step and every action counts, and the time to act is now.
From Ms Kehkashan Basu
UAE
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