Driver caught carpooling red-handed 3 times in Dubai
Suspect admits he offered Dh500 in bribe to RTA inspector as he was afraid of Dh10,000 fine
Dubai: A driver claimed in court on Sunday that he offered Dh500 in bribe to a Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) inspector because he was afraid of being fined Dh10,000 for carpooling.
Prosecutors accused the 41-year-old Pakistani driver, B.J., of offering a bribe to an RTA inspector after he was caught carpooling in front of a hotel in Dubai in November.
“Did you bribe the inspector?” the Dubai Court of First Instance’s presiding judge Mohammad Jamal asked the suspect.
“I was scared because the inspector caught me carpooling. I was afraid that he might fine me Dh10,000 and that’s why I offered him the Dh500. I did not want to be booked,” replied B.J. when he entered a plea in courtroom three on Sunday.
The Emirati inspector testified to prosecutors that B.J. was spotted carpooling in front of a hotel in Mankhool area.
“I suspected that he did not have a licence to pick up passengers. My colleague and I chased him for three minutes. Then we asked him to stop when he pulled over in front of another hotel. We asked the three passengers who were present what they were doing in the car. The three passengers claimed that the suspect had agreed to take them to Deira for money. I took the suspect’s licence and went to my car in order to issue him a ticket… while I was writing the fine, B.J. came to my window and placed Dh500 on the passenger seat. He told me to take the money and not issue him a carpooling fine. RTA records showed that this was B.J.’s third carpooling ticket… he had paid the first two tickets,” claimed the inspector.
Records said the RTA inspector reported the matter to the police. The driver was arrested shortly after that.
A ruling will be heard on February 1.
