Dubai
Another 10 road users in Dubai were surprised to win Dh1,000 each on Tuesday in the ‘Shell GoldStar Contest’ that rewards safe drivers, pedestrians and cyclists.
It follows Monday’s10 winners and the last batch of 10 safe road users will be selected in Sharjah on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Indian sales executive Syeed Bin Essa thought he may have made a mistake when he was pulled over after entering the Spinneys supermarket parking lot on Al Wasl Road. He kept asking if he had done anything wrong, only to learn moments later he was a winner because of his safe driving.
Dream-like encounter
“It seemed like a dream, I thought it was a joke at first. They told me they had been observing me and I had been following all the road rules, like actually stopping at the stop sign, wearing a seat belt, and signalling while turning,” Bin Essa, 33, said.
Tuesday’s winners all received a certificate as well, besides the D1,000 cash prize.
The same day, in the same parking lot, UK motorist Martin Smith was surprised to see officials from Dubai Police and Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) directing him to park his car.
“I had heard about the GoldStar campaign on the radio but didn’t initially put it together. It became clear when a camera came out and they awarded me,” said Smith, a 39-year-old project manager in the construction industry.
‘Good habits’
Smith added that he ensures he is always responsible behind the wheel. “Driving is very rigorously policed in the UK, where I’m from, so these practices just become good habits.”
The three-day contest returned for the second time this year, after April. It is brought by Shell in conjunction with Dubai’s RTA, Sharjah Police and Ciel Marketing & Events. The campaign is also supported by Oman Insurance, Porsche Centre Dubai, Gulf News, Friday magazine and Wheels magazine.
Safety reminders
The Shell GoldStar Contest rewards cash prizes to drivers, pedestrians and cyclists who follow good safety habits. Drivers are selected for following a variety of road safety practices, such as using seatbelts, staying off the phone while driving, lane discipline, using child safety seats, using indicators and observing speed limits.
Deema Hussein, Traffic Awareness Senior Manager, RTA, said: “It is always good to keep reminding motorists about the positive results when they are careful on the roads. The Shell Goldstar Contest is an on-ground activity which reaches out to a wider section of road users and we are happy to support it.”
