NEWS FROM THE UAE
Excerpts from UAE Dailies

Hailing a cab in Abu Dhabi is ‘mission impossible’

ABU DHABI — JUN 16: To hail a taxi in Abu Dhabi in summers is virtually “mission impossible.” Long waits and refusal by taxi drivers are the most common of complaints from harassed and hapless commuters. The problem becomes compounded for those who use taxis on a daily basis.

Khaleej Times spoke to regular commuters, taxi drivers as well as the traffic police to draw a complete picture of the problem.

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Passenger Mohammed Shuwkat, said, “Cab drivers are reluctant to stop for commuters in search of a national who pays more. A cab driver told me that he preferred to ferry a national because he travels short distance and pays more than an expatriate passenger.”

Ibrahim Amer noted that some cab drivers are rude to customers and even resort to violence. Some drivers, citing traffic jams and humps,  even physically force passengers to disembark before reaching the destination. “In general, cab drivers are now a real problem in the capital which should be dealt with firmly,” he affirmed.

Maen Mukhtar, a night-shift worker in a government department at Mussafah, complained that cab drivers charge him Dh15 instead of the normal rate of Dh5. “I am forced to pay so that I am not late for my duty,” he said.

Ali Sakwar drew the attention towards drivers who carry several passengers travelling to Mussafah, Shahama or Abu Dhabi airport. He remarked that they not only charge double at night but also refuse to drop passengers at their final destination.

Nour Ahmed said that she was fed up of the misconduct of cab drivers. “Some of these drivers were behind many traffic accidents,” she said.

Speaking from an economic point of view, Faisal Al Amin, indicated that bad taxi service is harming tourism in Abu Dhabi. “Cab drivers are impudent and smelly. We hope a new taxi service is introduced as early as possible,” he said.

Maryam Milad, a tourism coordinator, believed the behaviour and outfit of cab drivers were incompatible with the magnificent image and amazing progress of the capital. “This situation has dealt a severe blow to tourism as holidaymakers mainly use taxis to move from one place to another,” she remarked. She called on the authorities to deploy more public buses for low-income groups to ease the burden on taxi service.

Lole Lela said the “first come, first go” formula, which is now in place at Marina Mall, is the best solution to the taxi crisis and spare passengers the unnecessary stampede among themselves.

TAXI DRIVERS

Driver Nowaz Ali said he doesn’t like to travel through congested roads and sometimes refuses to take passengers because of financial factors.

Amta Khan complained, “Some passengers are trouble-makers and that is why I look for the nice ones who pay more.”

Another driver, Siddiq Ali, commented, “A cab driver is a human being and it is not unreasonable if he declines to serve passengers. Cab drivers often do that when they go for prayers or for appointment with another client.”

In a frank tone, Abed Hussein, admitted “many cabdrivers deal with commuters bluntly and harshly. Some take shower once in a month while others refuse to lift passengers. Such drivers should be kept away from behind the driving wheel.” Citing financial pressure, he affirmed that cab drivers should lift any passenger to help themselves also. Police, he noted, are also running after non-compliant cab drivers.

TRAFFIC POLICE

From the police point of view, Colonel Ghaith Al Za’abi, director of Traffic and Patrols Department, Abu Dhabi Police, emphasised, “No cab driver has the right to ignore commuters without an acceptable reason. Cab drivers are human beings and they should take rest but assaulting passengers is completely unaccept- able.”

He urged commuters to call hotline 997 for complaints.

“Erring cab driver may face a range of severe penalties, including withdrawal of driving licence,” he pointed out.

He, however, assured that the new taxi service, which is to be introduced in Abu Dhabi soon, will solve the problem to a great extent.

KHALEEJ TIMES

High-end hospitality sector sees room rates surging

DUBAI — JUN 15: The increasing number of five-star hotels and deluxe hotel apartments in Dubai has greatly influenced the cost of average hotel room rates, a top official in the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) admitted.

Responding to comments that Dubai has become an expensive tourist destination, particularly with regard to the hospitality sector, DTCM Director-General Khalid A. bin Sulayem said the trend can be attributed to the growing presence of high-end tourism properties.

“Dubai is different because we have more five-star hotels compared with other destinations. This growing presence of five-star properties and luxury hotels has been pulling up the average rate that is being charged on hotel rooms,” Bin Sulayem explained.

Industry sources said that average room rate has hiked by nearly 22 per cent last year to reach Dh655 per room, as against Dh512 per room in 2005. The flat rate for hotel apartments, meanwhile, posted a 12 per cent increment to Dh420 in 2006 as compared to Dh369 a year before.

According to the DTCM’s official website, the emirate currently has 41 five-star properties out of a total of 295 hotels and 28 deluxe out of 124 hotel apartments. This year, more than 20 hotels are scheduled to open in Dubai, majority of them are in the five-star category.

PV Kumar, executive director of Jayasree Travels and Tours, said the inbound tourism sector has noticed a lack in hotel rooms, especially in the three- and four-star hotel segment.

“We can’t say that the inflow of tourists has decreased over the years. But we did notice that there has always been a shortage of these types of budget accommodations. The existing number of hotels cannot cope with the demand,” Kumar said.

Kulwant Singh, managing partner of Lama Desert Tours and Cruises, said there has not been a lack in demand for tourist accommodations in Dubai. “Despite the cost, tourists are still reserving rooms. This year, the hotel industry has actually become more proactive in their marketing strategy by introducing summer packages as early as February, which allowed group tours to finalise their travel plans way ahead of the season,” he said.

KHALEEJ TIMES

Liquids limit’ rule effective tomorrow

DUBAI — JUN 15: The new security regulations concerning allowance of liquids, aerosols and gels in hand baggage will be strictly implemented at Dubai International Airport from tomorrow, the Dubai Department of Civil Aviation announced here yesterday.

The announcement follows a recent decision by the General Civil Aviation Authority to enforce rules as specified by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

The liquids include water and other drinks, soups, syrups, creams, lotions, oils, perfumes, sprays, gels, including hair and shower gels, contents of pressurised containers including shaving foam, other foams and deodorants, pastes including toothpaste, liquid-solid mixtures, mascara and any other item of similar consistency.

Under the new rules, passengers will be allowed to carry liquids in their hand baggage provided in containers of not more than 100ml each. Passengers would be required to pack all such containers in one transparent, re-sealable plastic bag of not more than one-litre capacity per individual. In addition, passengers must present all liquids at security checkpoints for screening.

Since the new rules are only related to hand baggage contents, passengers could still pack liquids in greater quantity in their checked-in luggage.

Medicines and dietary requirements, including baby foods, can be carried in hand baggage without being sealed in a clear plastic bag for use during the journey. But passengers may be asked to prove these are needed.

Passengers can still buy liquids such as perfumes etc. on board an aircraft or at Dubai Duty Free. Here the liquids will be sold packed in 2-litre security tamper-evident bags which passengers are advised not to open before they are screened or risk confiscation of the item at the checkpoint. All these liquids are additional to the quantities mentioned for re-sealable bags.

Referring to the new rules, Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Tayer, director of Aviation Unit at DCA, said: “The UAE is an ICAO member-state and as such the General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), the UAE’s federal civil aviation authority, and through it all local civil aviation authorities across the country, follow safety and security standards set by the organisation. This is for the greater security of the passengers and should be welcomed by one and all

KHALEEJ TIMES

Unlicensed’ docs warned

ABU DHABI — JUN 15: The Ministry of Health has issued a warning directed at people who claim to be doctors but who possess no licence to practise medicine. “Anyone who is not licensed to practise medicine and is found guilty of doing so, will face imprisonment of up to three years and fine up to Dh10,000,” said Dr AK Al Zarooni, director of the Medical Advertisement Department in the ministry.

KHALEEJ TIMES