Letters: February 7, 2010

A bus for all
The last time I visited Abu Dhabi, beautiful buses were launched. My husband enjoyed the service and praised it. Young children who rode in their big cars would make jokes that these buses would not last for more than two months. After about a year and a half, when we visited Abu Dhabi again, we saw a well-woven network of buses touching every corner of the city. We felt proud of our prediction. Buses are very good in every aspect and they provide many facilities to commuters. There are some suggestions though. There should be some seats reserved for senior citizens. The seats reserved for women can be reduced and at least two seats can be kept for the elderly. Additionally, the bus routes should be clearly displayed. Many a times we rode the bus after seeing its number, but we found out that the route had changed. However, I thank the administration for deploying buses, which are an advantage to all. It is of great help to us, as we usually cannot find a taxi in time.
From Ms Ratan Raina
Abu Dhabi

Convenient shopping
I have been living in Dubai for the past seven years and constantly have guests over at my place that come to visit as tourists. Over the past few years, while there has been a remarkable increase in the number of tourist destinations, there is still one thing missing that makes a visit to Dubai satisfying for a visitor — an easy spin around the big malls on wheels. As many senior tourists are unable to walk through the entire mall, it is best to provide them with a small vehicle to do the same. While the facility is available, it is not very accessible from all main points of entry and it hasn’t been well publicised. The long walks in the malls for a visitor with just a few days to see all of Dubai is difficult. Thus, the small cars that take them around is a good option and I hope to see some good changes.
From Ms Shefali Kothari
Dubai

Satisfied customer
Some people are already using cheaper Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) by bypassing the so-called bans implemented by telecommunication companies (“International calls over internet in UAE soon”, Gulf News, January 31). However, if they allow the VoIP, it would not make a huge difference in prices as we are already using other mediums to pay. So I would like to suggest that the service is not initiated. We are happy with the existing services.
From A Reader
Al Ain

Great step
I think the move is quite appropriate and would be considered a positive step forward. This, for sure, facilitates telephone and internet subscribers to enjoy overseas calls at a very low rate, thereby increasing the duration of communication. On the other hand, introducing such a facility would help reduce illegal usage of VoIP services. Once the service is fully implemented, I expect a drastic reduction in the dependence of mobile phones and landline telephones for international calls.
From Mr Ramachandran Nair
Ruwi, Oman

Reduction in price
If etisalat and du are planning on bringing down the price of international calls through the internet, it would be better for them. Otherwise people will continue to use other cheaper alternatives that are already available on the market.
From Mr Srikanth Iyer
Dubai

Tough competition
Better late than never! However, both etisalat and du should offer competitive rates in the first place. Otherwise people will continue using other VoIP services.
From Mr Sunil Parkhi
Dubai

Good decision
We are willing to welcome this decision, even though it is very late. Many other countries have already started this service and offer very cheap rates. International calls in the UAE are too expensive. We congratulate the authorities for this move.
From Mr Pious
Sharjah

Deserving candidate
I strongly believe that Roger Federer is the greatest tennis player in the world (“Federer masterclass for young Murray”, Gulf News, February 1). I am not surprised at all by his win in the recent Australian Open in Melbourne. He deserves it! What makes Federer so special is a pleasant temperament, a balanced emotional approach, crowd-pulling ability and ideal physical fitness.
From Mr Tom Johns
Sharjah