Text and Pictures By A. A., Gulf News Reader www.gulfnews.com
Of late, there are many people complaining that they are being fined for crossing roads, especially in Al Barsha.
We appreciate the Roads and Traffic Authority’s (RTA) initiatives and the excellent job the authorities are doing in showing the public that they care for their lives and safety.
In certain locations where they have provided a pedestrian crossings and people don’t adhere to it, yes — the fine is justified.
But when there are no pedestrian crossings or footbridges provided, where should the public cross?
There are many people working in and around Al Barsha and when they have to travel to the nearest Metro station — which is the one at Mall of the Emirates — how do they reach it?
The only crossing available is near the locality’s hypermarket, at the traffic signal, which is quite far from the Metro station.
Walking all the way in the opposite direction to the traffic signal and returning, means having to cover almost two-and-a-half kilometres.
When walking, almost everyone wants to take a short cut, no matter how healthy they are – especially in the summer.
A majority of people who have been fined for jaywalking were those who were attempting to get to the Dubai Metro.
While the open stations are limited in number, people are forced to walk the distance with no proper feeder buses provided.
If there are no facilities accessible to the general public, they should not be fined.
If the authorities are concerned about the safety of the public, they should either provide a footbridge or a pedestrian crossing with a traffic signal so that lives are saved.
Additionally, commuters can avoid paying a Dh210 fine — and double the amount the next time they are caught running across the street.
Please look into this issue seriously and provide some sort of facilities at the earliest, so that it is easy for the public to cross the road to the Metro station.
Until this provision is made, we recommend traffic police be present during peak office hours to make sure pedestrians cross safely.
— The reader is a business person in Dubai
