December 1, 2008

Selfless spirit
A short while ago, I was waiting at a traffic signal when driving from Jumeirah toward Business Bay area.

While the cars were stationary, I heard a fire brigade and an ambulance trying to navigate through to the front of the traffic queues.

The rescue vehicles seemed to be having a very tough time trying to get through.

Realising the urgency of the situation, an Emirati man got out of his Range Rover, stood in the middle of the road and manually controlled the traffic.

By single-handedly managing the situation, he helped guide the rescue vehicles through and probably allowed them to reach their destination in time.

I salute the selfless spirit of such good people and thank the gentleman for his initiative.
From Mr Ameet Mathrani
Dubai

Massive change
The Road and Transport Authority's (RTA) decision to stop charging Salik fees for taxi passengers is commendable, ("Bus lane to connect Sharjah and Dubai", Gulf News, November 25).

Following this, the report about new dedicated bus lanes between Sharjah and Dubai came as a welcome reprieve for commuters, too.

I am glad the authorities have realised that basic solutions, if implemented correctly, could help make a massive difference to people's lives.
From Mr Rick J. Advano
Dubai

Excellent move
The presence of police officers on the Academic City Road during the morning rush hour is an excellent move.

The junction that once took nearly 20 minutes to negotiate could now be covered in less than five minutes.

I hope police will continue to station themselves in the area on a daily basis, especially on weekdays. Hats off to their efforts.
From Mr Arul Pinto
UAE

Rude officer
Recently, I went to deposit a cheque in the Al Rigga Road branch of Mashreq Bank, in Dubai. However, I had to take a token and wait for my turn for more than 35 minutes.

Moreover, the numbers appearing on the monitor were not in sequence.

After depositing my cheque, I decided to talk to a customer service representative, in order to ensure that the technical error does not occur again.

However, I was shocked to hear the officer-in charge's comments. He told me he had faith in the system and did not have time to explain to me how it worked.

I tried to explain the error to him, but he asked me to shift my account to another branch if I had any issues with the services offered.
From Ms Nishi Gandotra
Dubai

Sa'ad Hakim, Events and Public Relations Manager, for Mashreq Bank, replies:

We have investigated the matter and were very surprised, since there is no need to take a token and wait to deposit a cheque in Al Rigga branch. There is a special teller to collect cheques and deposit them without any delays.

In the matter of random numbers being displayed, it is because it is related to different tasks and requests - each with a different count and sequence, which caused the misunderstanding.

The deputy manager of the Rigga branch called Ms Gandotra about the rude behaviour of one of our employees, which is a matter that Mashreq Bank does not tolerate. Unfortunately, Ms Gandotra could not identify any name, so we continue our investigation.

Monitoring needed
I really do not think the new regulation regarding older vehicles is going to make any difference in improving safety or conserving the environment ("UAE residents divided over ban on older vehicles", Gulf News, November 25).

The authorities could prohibit the use of vehicles that are unsafe or in a bad condition and refuse renewing the registration of such cars.

However, older cars that have been maintained properly are as good as their newer counterparts.

More stringent inspection at registration centres would help improve safety on roads.
From Mr Franz Flesch
UAE

Defining factor
As the current public transport system cannot cope with the high demand, the decision to phase out old cars is too abrupt.

It would affect middle and low-income groups and push up the prices of newer cars. New cars can create a greater number of accidents, as they are much faster.

Cars are essential as a means of transport, especially during emergencies. Age is not the defining factor.

How well the car is maintained is what counts.
From Mr Subhasis Mukherjee
Dubai

Easy test
I was taken aback when I read Ms Ranu Bhattacharya's letter, wherein she stated that she usually drives in the second lane and sticks to it, no matter what ("Respect on Roads", Your Turn, November 26).

Whatever happened to driving in the rightmost lane? It is the basic rule of highway driving!

Moreover, legal lane changes are an essential part of safe and responsible driving.

An easy test to ensure one is in the correct lane is to check if motorists are overtaking you from the right side.

If so, then you are in the wrong lane and it has nothing to do with your speed.
From Mr Amlan Shah
Dubai

Good information
I would like to thank Gulf News for the information provided on cancer ("Illness expected to rise in the UAE", Gulf News, November 28).

I have urged many of my friends and relatives to read the report - especially the ones who smoke.
From Mr Mansour
Hyderabad, India

Timely issue
I would like to commend Gulf News for the timely report on cancer.

As an academic and representative of a cancer diagnostic company, I can attest to the poor standard of diagnostic care across the world, especially for mainstream illnesses such as prostate, colorectal and breast cancer.

The cost of treatment and care for cancer patients reaches astronomical numbers in many developed countries.

Early diagnosis and preventive care is rightly becoming a worldwide economic issue.
From Mr Alexandre Akoulitchev
Oxford, UK

Spread the word
Everyone should be provided with adequate information and education on health issues, the appropriate diet and natural food intake.

Many companies and organisations have been established, which focus purely on spreading awareness and teaching people how to stay healthy.
From Mr Michael
Phoenix, USA

Destination Dubai
Whether as a structured conduit for investment funding and business, or as a potential location to establish their headquarters, clients are considering Dubai to be their destination of choice ("DIFC remains strong despite fears", Gulf News, November 29).

Key drivers would be a return of confidence, motivated by value-added flows of tangible investment, people and capital into and from Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and Dubai.
From Mr M. Chatur
London, UK

Positive results
The Emirates Identity Authority (EIDA) has faced much criticism over the issuing of ID cards, but I would like to highlight my experience ("Expat ID card application put on hold", Gulf News, November 26).

I applied for an appointment through their website, at a time and date that suited me and received a confirmation through a text message.

The online application form worked, as I had the prerequisites installed on my computer. Additionally, my bar code was printed accurately.

When I arrived for my appointment at a registration centre in Al Barsha, I was received by very pleasant and efficient staff members and managed to complete the whole process in less than an hour.
From Mr Paul Wood
Dubai

Labelling
It is nice to see the progress that has been made in the UAE, regarding the spread of awareness about issues such as diabetes ("Residents participate in World Diabetes Day activities at Safa Park", Gulf News, November 14).

One important step the authorities can take is to ensure that all fruit juices, milk shakes and soft drinks boldly mention the calorific value of the product.

The same would go for all food items such as pizzas, burgers and hot dogs.

This would allow consumers to be aware of their calorie intake and people would be able to keep a watch on what they eat.

Once awareness is created, I am sure some amount of self-discipline would follow.
From Mr Abraham
Sharjah
Full name withheld by request

Wasted food
The report on a sporting challenge, whereby people were not supposed to break a tray of eggs was appalling ("Enthusiasts get cracking with eggs to defy gravity", Gulf News, November 14).

It is such a ghastly waste of food, especially when millions of children around the world do not get a decent meal a day.
From Mr Vipin Balakrishnan
Dubai

Protect investors
Suddenly the blame has fallen on investors, for driving up prices ("Defaulters set to lose 30%", Gulf News, November 13).

This, despite the fact that developers contentedly supported investors by launching developments above market prices and focusing on profit building.

At the end of the day, it is not the investors that are the speculators - it is the developers that are being opportunistic and taking advantage.

Who is covering that angle?

As if losing 30 per cent of whatever they paid was not enough, investors now have to tackle the fingers pointing at them.
From A Reader
Dubai
Name withheld by request

Transparency
All this talk about transparency is as misplaced as it is dishonest ("Traders rue lack of transparency", Gulf News, November 14).

When times were good, the same traders did not complain about the lack of transparency that led to gung-ho buying.
From A Reader
Dubai
Name withheld by request

Common issue
As an ex-student of BITS, Pilani - Dubai, I believe the issues mentioned in Gulf News's report occur in every university ("Students see bleak future at BITS campus", Gulf News, November 14).

Which college does not have fines for non-attendance? Which hostel or dormitory does not have fixed timings?

It all depends on the attitude of students. During my four years in BITS, Pilani, I did not have to pay a penalty for anything.

If a student wishes to waste time and break all the rules, he or she should look for another university and not one that is so professional and reputable.

All the questions raised in the report were well answered by the university director. In all my time at the university, I did not face any problems with communication.

Moreover, rules are part of any organisation or country. They are strictly implemented to establish a better quality of education and for the benefit of everyone.

As the director said, all these issues should have been first addressed to him and then put to the public.
From Mr Albert Sabinus
Dubai

Bookish
Reading skills cannot really be enhanced in a child ("At home with his education", Gulf News, November 15). It is a child's interest that compels him or her to read books.

Parents can only encourage their children to read, but these days, busy schedules keep parents from doing even that.

Moreover, children do not have much time for reading or paying attention to anything other than their school studies.

As an 11th grader, very rarely am I able to find a book that interests me, but I do devote some time every day to reading.

Additionally, once I do start to read, I am immovable - my mom has to stop me from reading!
From Ms Tanya Khanna
UAE

Catch the culprits
At least once a fortnight or once a month, our new vehicle received a scratch. We could not find the culprit and eventually had to pay to repair it.

Is there any entity that checks on vandals and brings these culprits to justice?

I would urge the authorities to find people who damage other cars. Something should be done to curb it.

I would like to see what Gulf News readers think about it, as this has become a daily torture for some.
From A Reader
UAE
Name withheld by request

All the best
I appreciate Gulf News and the efforts of the reporter who wrote about the death of the Ethiopian girl, recently ("Housemaid's body finally flown home", Gulf News, November 11).

May God help all those who were left stranded in such a situation. I wish Gulf News all the best.
From Ms Debebe Burka
Ethiopia

Bridge the gap
Recently, I read that the traffic rules would soon become very strict, which is really good.

But residential areas such Al Nahda and Al Khan in Sharjah are still not equipped with pedestrian crossings.

Therefore, one often comes across people running on busy roads and this may surely result in accidents.

Moreover, those who choose not to run, usually drive and this only adds to the traffic congestion.
Additionally, I have seen children running and crossing the roads after alighting from their school buses.

In such a case, it is difficult to establish whether the fault is of the jaywalker or the motorist.

Another issue that is taxing for commuters and pedestrians is the issue of taxis. Finding one is an arduous task.
From Mr Tanu
Sharjah
Full name withheld by request