Letters: June 10, 2012

Too expensive to go home

As another summer vacation is about to begin, the airlines have once again started their normal play on airline fares. The only difference this year is that the fares have been hiked to an unreasonable level, with special reference to flights to India. The prolonged strikes at Air India have made the situation worse.

Most of the Indian schools in the UAE finish the academic year by the end of June and reopen in the beginning of September. If you look at any flights during this period you will find that the minimum fare available is double the price of the off-peak fares. This is the same with all airlines, be it national or budget airlines.

People who have booked their tickets months in advance have not had any advantage with the fares either, as the prices were fixed a long time ago and not according to seat availability. Many people who have got their leave approvals later are now opting out of going on vacation with their children as it is too expensive.

I would like to request the concerned authorities to please look into the matter and find a solution that is beneficial to both the customers and the airlines. This way, many who look forward to going home to meet their loved ones will not have to do so with a heavy heart.

From Ms Trija Rajan
UAE

Smooth move

The 4.5-kilometre stretch on Al Khaleej Street has 10 traffic signals and two roundabouts. So the street has 12 possible stopovers, which results in traffic congestion during peak hours. The authorities should consider reducing the number of signals or do away with the roundabouts on the street for a smooth flow of traffic.

From Mr Mohammad Ejaz Ahmad
Dubai

Better safe than sorry

Summertime is often fatal (‘Man dies of smoke inhalation in Sharjah warehouse fire’, Gulf News, June 3). My suggestion to the authorities is to have surprise inspections in all factories that use flammable materials – ones that violate safety procedures should be heavily fined. This will help avoid such situations from happening as it is not only creating a big loss for the owner, but also endangering people’s lives. Also, I request the factory and warehouse owners to keep their places safe. It will only take a little bit of effort and not much money.

From Mr Nadeem Ahmad
Abu Dhabi

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Relieved

I would like to thank the authorities for extending the deadline (‘June 30 is new deadline for receipt of applications’, Gulf News, June 3). There were so many people who were trying to apply for the Emirates ID card before the deadline, but couldn’t due to different reasons. This will be a relief for many people.

From Mr Ranjit Vasudevan
Dubai
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Plenty of time

This is unfair. They have been given a lot of time to register in order to avoid penalties but they did not adhere to the deadline. The authorities must be strict when it comes to setting a deadline.

From Mr Jayst
Dubai
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Misunderstood

It’s very sad that landlords don’t have proper information and scare the tenants because of it (‘Sharjah landlords claim single women not allowed in city’, Gulf News, June 4). I faced the same problem in Sharjah. My landlord renewed my tenancy contract but mentioned that the registration will be rejected by the Municipality because I am a single woman. I requested him to give me all the relevant documents and went by myself to the Municipality for registration. In 15 minutes everything was done. Landlords act on the basis of misinterpretation. In Sharjah unmarried tenants are welcome, whether they are male or female. I hope that this misinterpretation will end.

From Ms Claudia
Sharjah
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Unfair treatment

If the authorities grant visas for single women how can the landlords refuse housing for them? I think the authorities must provide accommodation for single women who are employed in reputed companies.

From Mr Bala
Bengaluru, India
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60 years on

Congratulations to Queen Elizabeth II for completing 60 years of rule. This is a momentous achievement during the tumultuous time that the world has been through during the past six decades.

The Queen has conducted herself with great aplomb and style throughout all these years. She has shown exemplary character and courage even when her country or her family was going through tough times. She is one of the most admired personalities of our times and is fittingly held in very high esteem all across the globe. She has developed the skill of being highly involved in public affairs, while maintaining a certain distance and detachment from it at the same time. Britain should be proud of its Queen.

From Mr Rajendra K. Aneja
Dubai