More awareness needed as UAE observes GCC Traffic Week

Dubai/Abu Dhabi/Fujairah: The UAE observed the 25th GCC Traffic Week last week which had the theme 'Don't Call Until You Arrive'.

In each emirate, traffic officials launched celebrations and awareness campaigns asking drivers to abstain from using hand-held mobile devices while driving, which invites a Dh200 fine and four traffic points.

In a recent Gulf News poll, 24 per cent of respondents said they did not have any traffic fines to pay last year, 18 per cent had to pay up to Dh500, 17 per cent did not drive and 14 per cent paid between Dh500 to Dh1,000.

A smaller amount of respondents, (11 per cent) had to pay more than Dh2,000, seven per cent paid between Dh1,000 to Dh1,500, five per cent paid Dh1,500 to Dh2,000, and the remaining three per cent ignored the fines.

But were UAE residents aware traffic week was taking place? Did it make any difference to drivers?

City Talk took to the streets to find out more.

Ebrahim Mustafa, a Syrian manager, 30, said: "I was aware about Traffic Week but saw that people were still driving badly and I did not see any improvement on the roads. The police should strictly implement the rule that motorists should not change lanes all the time. Another problem is that people drive slowly in the fast lane and vice versa. I think the problem is because there are so many people from different nationalities driving on the roads... I had to pay less than Dh2,000 in fines last year, one for an accident and the other was a parking ticket."

Krishnan Ananthanarayanan, an Indian chartered accountant, 24, said: "I did not know about Traffic Week at all, which is maybe because I leave home very early in the morning and arrive back late in the evening. I do not drive so I usually get a lift with my friends or take a taxi. The volume of traffic has certainly reduced in the last six months, but other than that, drivers are still cutting in front of each other."

Issam Mohammad Lutfy, an Egyptian sales executive, 38, said: "I've noticed some signs regarding not using mobile phones whilst driving and heard some advice on the radio, but that's about it. I think initiatives like these are important but traffic safety issues are a year-round concern and dedicating just a week to them is not going to make so much of a difference. More could be done to weed out dangerous drivers and to raise the standards of driving."

Bankey Nesli Atalay, from Turkey, 33 said she had been here for four months and had not heard about the traffic week celebrations but thought lately that the traffic had not been so bad. "Although I'm a driver, I do not drive here and use cabs to get around. But I have noticed no change in driving habits."

Ann Martin, a Filipina researcher, 40, said: "I've never heard about traffic week. I don't drive but depend on cabs to reach my destination. Not only that I found no difference in the traffic situation in general, the cab drivers continued to drive recklessly as always."

Leena Jagatia, a business coordinator from the UK, 23, said: "I had no idea about traffic week at all but I did notice that traffic was moving quicker than usual. People were still driving badly as usual. The only improvement was that motorists stopped cutting into other's lanes.. I must have paid less than Dh1,000 in fines last year."

Mohammad Ammar, a Syrian salesman, 28, said: "I have not heard about it. I don't think it has made any difference in the behaviour of drivers. In Sharjah, where I live, the traffic on the roads is too high. I did not pay any traffic fines last year& so I guess I've been a good driver."