Dubai
There is an issue in Dubai’s International City that I’d like to bring attention to. When in the area, pedestrians face a lot of difficulties walking on the pavement. The reason? You will come up against heavy trucks that are parked on the pavement. This forces the pedestrians to walk on the road, which is becoming dangerous. On many occassions, I have come across this sight (as seen in photograph).
Due to a lack of gardens, parks or recreation facilities in the community, many people residing in the area choose to go for a walk as a form of exercise. We are left to walk around the main road in the area to get fit and to get more miles while walking.
But, we suddenly reach a section of the road where we see these trucks left parked on the pavement. We are then forced to step on to the main road to walk around the truck. And in some areas, the pavement is totally destroyed due to these heavy trucks parking there consistently.
We have raised this issue with the management of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). But, we cannot blame them because they have put up clear signs restricting trucks and buses from parking anywhere in the area. Additionally, I have also noticed that some of the truck drivers actually remove the number plates so that they won’t get fined, and then they are parking anywhere they want. This shows that they know that they are doing something wrong and know that the authorities will come and penalise them for their wrong actions.
A lot of people who love to walk and residents alike are fed up with this issue. I spoke with a few of my friends in the area, while I was out on a walk, and also my neighbours regarding this issue. They also find the parking of heavy trucks in places where they are clearly not supposed to entirely wrong. Nabil Mustafa, a resident of International City who goes running with me, is concerned about going for a walk now.
He said: “It’s becoming dangerous to even go for a walk at night. The heavy trucks are seen driving as if it is a highway or racing track. So, we cannot walk on the pavement because these trucks are parked there and when waking on the road, the trucks drive past at such high speeds, which makes it very dangerous for us pedestrians. International City has become a truck city.”
My neighbour, Hasim Abdullah, is also unhappy with this situation.
He said: “The trucks are parked everywhere, even where there are boards that clearly state that parking for for buses and heavy vehicles is not allowed here. Sometimes, we have to wait while these trucks try to unleash their trailers on the pavement and the drivers are not even bothered that people, who are walking around, will find it difficult. Even the security patrols, assigned by the developers, don’t do anything about it.”
The residents of International City are hoping that this issue will soon grab the attention of the relevant authorities and be sorted out as soon as possible.
— The reader is a resident of Dubai.
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