A businesswoman is demanding a controversial ban on the use of jet skis in and around Dubai's waterways be lifted.
Briton Suzy Dillon, who owns Nautica 1992 on the beach at the Habtoor Grand Hotel in Dubai Marina, is calling for the authorities to create safe regulated areas where people can use the equipment.
Dillon, who has run the water sports company in the emirate for six years, said she constantly has to disappoint tourists wanting to ride the machines in the water.
Tourist disappointment
“They don't understand that using these things is illegal but all I can do is shrug my shoulders and say sorry,'' she said. “They tell me they can see people using them everywhere. But I have to tell them that these are private individuals who shouldn't be doing it.''
She said: “Hotels around Dubai send their guests to me if they ask for jet skis but I have to disappoint them. The ban has badly affected my business. The jet skis made up about 90 per cent of our turnover but that is completely gone.
“We are just treading water at the moment and if I'm honest this, along with the economic downturn, I don't know how much longer we can continue to keep going.''
She said: “People come here for a holiday and see jet skis in the advertising but when they get here can't use them.
Following rules
“We have followed the rules all the way along. There haven't been any accidents when they have been used.'' Dillon said that she wants to “see regulated areas where companies like ours can let people safely use jet skis''.
“At the moment although it is banned some people ignore it and race around like crazy, disrupting swimmers.'' She said after months of pleading with the authorities she was told by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) last August that proposals were being drawn up to allow jet ski use in four areas.
She said: “I was told Dubai Marina, Festival City, Dubai Creek Park and Mamzar Beach Park.''
Waterway?
Dillon initially began hiring out jet skis six months after setting up her business. She continued renting the machines to tourists until 2005 when she received an official letter from the municipality stating that there had been a complaint about the noise.
She was ordered to stop a year later following a further complaint. She has already had to cut her staff by half from six and keeps her three jet skis, which cost up to Dh38,000, mothballed.
