The effort by the UAE transport authorities to streamline road safety is getting side tracked by some inadvertent measures taken by transport carriers. Or are they intentional?
I am referring to the regulation to display a contact number on the mini and heavy buses carrying passengers. These days, many of them do not have a signboard and some of them display email addresses or switchboard numbers. Both are not effective, in case of an emergency situation, or in order to report road rage noticed on the road.
What was surprising to me was the fact that even school buses did not carry these signboards. In addition, these signs are to be written in lumniscent letters in a sufficiently large size so that they can be read easily during the day or night.
These boards should also be placed on all the government-owned transport vehicles, as they are also seen driving on the hard shoulder at times.
A few days ago, I struggled to find out the details of a speeding bus driver who was continuously flashing the headlights at me and driving at a speed higher than the regulatory speed. On another occasion, I was too shocked to see a big trailer speeding within the city of Abu Dhabi, but there was really no way to find out the company details or contacts for those responsible for it.
We need more awareness on the dangers of heavy vehicles speeding. I humbly request the concerned authorities to ensure these traffic regulations are strictly followed.
The reader is based in Abu Dhabi.
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