Dubai: Ten drivers in Dubai were worried when they were flagged by police despite “following road rules” on Tuesday. Instead of a ticket, however, the drivers received commendation from police for being good and safe drivers.
Each driver received the Responsible Road Users Award as part of the Shell GoldStar Contest in Dubai on Tuesday.
The drivers were selected based on a number of road safety practices, such as using seat belts, staying off the phone, maintaining lane discipline, using child safety seats, using indicators and observing speed limits, among others.
The initiative is in collaboration with the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai, Sharjah Police and Ciel Marketing and Events.
The campaign is supported by Gulf News and Wheels.
Katarina Bossu, from Slovakia, was driving near Gold and Diamonds Park looking for a vet for her dog when police flagged her.
“I was so stressed. I was driving well, following road rules. That was all I could think of,” the resident said.
Katarina’s husband, Julian, who was with her in the car, was equally puzzled.
“We were very surprised. We were wondering why there was a guy with a camera. We thought maybe they were shooting an awareness piece or something. And then they gave my wife the prize. I’m very proud of her,” Julian said.
Katarina covers a distance of 200km dropping at and fetching her four kids from school in Oud Metha from Springs every day. During the long drive, she makes sure she’s driving safely because her passengers are her most precious cargo.
Buthainia Al Saiqal, an Emirati, was in Umm Suqeim planning to go shopping when police asked her to stop the car.
The resident said: “I was scared when they stopped me but I was confident that I had done nothing wrong. The latest police fine I received was a long time ago. I’ve already learnt from my mistakes. My record has been clean for the last five years.”
For Mohammad Adnan, a Pakistani delivery man, did not suspect anything wrong when police stopped him while driving on Mohammad Bin Rashid Boulevard.
The ecstatic driver said he makes sure to drive safely not only for himself but also for other motorists around him.
The other winners who each received a cash prize of Dh1,000, a certificate, and goody bags were Noreen Malik from Pakistan, Laxman T.A. from Sri Lanka, Elma De Guzman from the Philippines, Navid Khan, Mohammad Azeem, both from Pakistan, and Smaak Shady and Ahmad Alnunu from Palestine.
A total of 30 drivers will be recognised throughout the campaign from March 5 to 7 across Dubai and Sharjah.
