May 28, 2008

Feeling the heat
With the advent of summer, more people are "feeling the heat". And, it doesn't help that people waiting at bus stands are often greeted with signs that state "work in progress, please do not enter".

This is in reference to the ongoing air-conditioning work at most bus stations. One wonders when this work will get completed.

A lot of people often stand behind bus shelters to avoid being scorched by the sun. What is the use of installing bus shelters if they are not operational or in working condition?

It's now that people really need the shelter. It is my humble request to the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) to complete the work as soon as possible.
From Mr L. Mohammad A. Khan
Dubai

Bygone days
I have lived under President Robert Mugabe's iron hand for 28 years and know what he is capable of ("Zimbabwe a country ready to boil," Gulf News, May 26).

I am a Briton by birth. Heaven help the poor people living in Zimbabwe today. Why can't the world step in and get rid of this dictator?

I still have family there who are unable to get out. Whilst Mugabe is in power, Zimbabwe will never return to its former 'bread basket of Africa' days.

Heaven help Mugabe's successor, he will have a huge task ahead of him.
From Ms Sandra Linder
UK

Part of the team
It's been 12 days since my stay in Dubai and I have had a fantastic time reading Gulf News. The newspaper contains relevant news from all over the world.

I congratulate the entire team for publishing great reports. I particularly enjoyed reading the report on the Dolphinarium, recently.

Indirectly, I consider myself a part of the team and proud, too, each time I read the newspaper at home.
From Mr Suresh Nair
Dubai

Excellent step
It is an excellent step on the part of the authorities in Sharjah to introduce the public transport system ("Sharjah city bus service takes new route of progress," Gulf News, May 23).

It will surely help reduce traffic, especially if the service is dependable and cost effective.

The authorities could connect these buses to Ajman and Dubai, in addition to the existing fleet of buses and taxis.
From Mr S. J. Haq
Dubai

Late but worth it
Though late, the move to introduce city buses is good. One thing I would like to suggest is to introduce a bus service from Al Nahda Park area to Bur Dubai and Deira.

These areas are densely populated, as no taxis are available for hours, particularly during hot weather.

It's the women who are most affected. My wife fainted a few days ago, while waiting for a taxi in the park area.
From Mr Jay Prakash
Sharjah

The right brand
Being an electrical engineer with over 30 years of experience, I would like to comment on the case of the overloaded cables ("Overloaded power cables lead to blackout", Gulf News, May 22).

Power cables are connected to feeder pillars, which contain fuses or circuit breakers.

They are supposed to be rated according to the capacity of the cable, which will not allow overloading. If correctly rated, the fuse would blow or a circuit breaker would trip.

The authorities should ensure that the correct protection devices are installed, or are of a certified make.
From Mr Wilhelm Niederhauser
Sharjah

Setting a trend
There are some people who get an entire villa and with gypsum boards, partitioned walls and divided bathrooms, create more rooms ("Workers barred from areas housing families", Gulf News, May 24).

At times, septic tank roofs are used as floors for another room, with several families sharing the same toilet and kitchen. This is unhygienic and totally unethical.

But because some people have accepted this type of accommodation, the trend continues. The authorities need to crack down on such tenants.
From Mr Nasser Usmani
Dubai

A mosque is needed
I live at the International City in Dubai. These beautiful residential units are without a single mosque.

In order to attend the Friday prayer, we have to drive more than one kilometre. I appeal to the authorities to construct a large mosque.
From Mr Kassem Ali Al Chazli
Dubai

Terrible experience
On February 28, I signed a payment instruction form at a Citibank branch to transfer my funds to another bank, in order to purchase property in India.

The transaction had taken place during banking hours. I then contacted Citibank on March 3 to check the status of the transfer.

I received a response from them after seven (banking) hours, which stated that the officer had "just found out"' about a signature mismatch.

I had already left the UAE for India, but took appropriate steps on March 4 by visiting a Citibank branch in India, to resolve the matter.

However, the bank still delayed the transfer, and I was unable to buy the property.

I had especially travelled to India for it and had to return to the UAE, especially as neither did Citibank transfer the money nor provide any specific transfer date.

When I raised the complaint, the response from Citibank carried conflicting information. I request them to provide evidence to prove the veracity of their claims.
From Mr J. K. Khattar
Dubai

The management of Citibank replies:
Mr Khattar had given fund transfer instructions at a Citibank office in Dubai on a Thursday after banking hours. The client transaction was therefore placed for execution on March 2, which was the next working day.

The transaction was a complex wire transfer, which involved consolidating various deposits in Singapore and India into one amount and transferring the same to Dubai.

As one of the major deposits to be transferred was an FCNR (Foreign Currency Non Resident), with the maturity of February 29, the client was advised not to break it prematurely.

If he did so, he would have lost one year of interest as per term of the deposit. Therefore the instruction was sent for processing on the next working day, which was March 2.

Also, as the US dollar deposits were booked offshore, the transaction was processed on March 3. However, the instruction could not be processed due to a signature mismatch. We made all possible attempts to contact Mr Khattar through telephone and e-mails.

When we found out that he was travelling to India, he was requested to visit the nearest branch for change of signatures. Mr Khattar completed the formalities on March 4. We had to work across different time zones and added to the time were public holidays in India and international weekends.

The transaction, therefore, got executed on March 10. We have investigated this transaction on our end and there was no delay in processing it. We acted in the best interest of Mr Khattar as there was a signature mismatch and have kept him duly informed of all steps.

Also, please note that the bank retains records of all transactions/communications, which can be provided to the customer upon his direct request.

New Metro connection
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) needs to understand the problem of traffic first before trying to solve it. There is actually no traffic in Dubai.

The problem is with those who work in Dubai and stay in Sharjah. These commuters cause heavy traffic on all the roads going to Sharjah.

The simple solution is to have a Metro between Dubai and Sharjah. Nothing else will work.
From Mr Anil Prakash Pande
Sharjah