Dubai
We reside in a building located on Damascus Road, in Al Qusais area, Dubai. We usually step out to go for a walk in the park that is located on the opposite side of the road. As responsible residents, we use the pedestrian bridge to cross the road every time. Since we are young and also focused on our health, we normally use the stairs to access the bridge.
However, my grandparents are visiting and we decided to use the elevator to access the pedestrian bridge, as they find it difficult to climb the stairs. To our surprise, the elevator was not working and this left us with no option but to drop our plans of going for a walk.
My mother called the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) on the toll free number provided outside the elevator, to report the incident. We were all taken aback when we were told that the elevator would not be repaired until complete payments were made to the maintenance company. We registered a complaint with them, but the elevator was not repaired for another week, until suddenly, a few days later, the RTA took steps to make the elevator functional.
This particular section on Damascus Road is a very busy area and the pedestrian bridge is extensively used by the people living here. There are supermarkets, restaurants and hotels on either side of the road and the Dubai Metro and bus stops are also nearby.
Senior citizens, people with disability, mothers with baby strollers and those carrying heavy objects are all forced to climb the steep stairs when the elevator is non-functional. Additionally, those on wheelchairs have no access to the pedestrian bridge. The road is always busy with traffic and sometimes, people are seen jaywalking and risking their lives, despite there being a heavy fine for jaywalking.
This is not an isolated case. Many times, we have observed that the elevators aren’t working. The RTA has done an excellent job by providing this facility at every few hundred metres on busy roads, but without the elevators, the whole purpose is defeated.
I request Gulf News to kindly take up this matter with the RTA and find a permanent solution as soon as possible.
At this point, I would like to bring to notice that lights near the elevators are on even during broad daylight. It is a waste! We keep talking about solar panels and other alternatives to reduce electricity consumption. Such small steps can also be considered vital.
— The reader is a student based in Dubai.
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Editor’s note: The reader’s complaint was raised with the management of RTA. However, despite repeated reminders, they did not respond.
