A good Samaritan
I recently dined out with my family at a restaurant in Bur Dubai. While my two sons, aged six and four years were busy playing, my wife and I stepped into a neighbouring store to shop.
When we returned to the restaurant, our eldest child was nowhere to be seen. We searched frantically for about half an hour but couldn't find him. I decided to call the police.
However, I soon received a phone call from a neighbour who informed me that my son had reached home.
A gentleman had spotted him crying on the street and ensured he got home safely. Unfortunately, we could not thank him as he left before we reached home.
From Mr Rajesh Chaturvedi
UAE
Unsung heroes
My daughter met with a domestic accident wherein she suffered burns to her legs. She was admitted to the burns ward of Al Mafraq hospital, in Abu Dhabi, for almost 20 days.
I thank the doctors and staff for taking good care of my daughter.
Their professionalism and dedication are commendable. They are the unsung heroes that live in our community.
From Mr Jayesh V. V.
Dubai
Spread awareness
This is in reference to the letter by Mr Hemant M. Choti about the behaviour of some drivers at petrol stations ("To switch off or not to", Gulf News, April 17).
The attendants should be instructed to refuse to fill up cars that have their engines switched on. All petrol stations have clear signage written in both Arabic and English.
People should be given the authority to report perpetuators to the police, as it is clearly a failure to follow basic rules and law.
Such people should be heavily penalised for this. It is important to spread awareness on the importance of maintaining safety at petrol stations, at all times.
On another note, I've noticed that none of the municipality workers or garbage attendants wear gloves or masks while cleaning the streets or collecting trash from garbage bins.
Hope someone takes the required action soon.
From Ms Ineke D'Souza
Dubai
Better than India
I agree with Mr K.K. Tewari's supportive letter ("Don't blame the Consulate", Gulf News, April 16).
In fact, the Indian Consulate is doing an excellent job and deserves appreciation in lending its services to the huge number of Indian expatriates residing in the UAE.
I've been in Dubai for more than 10 years. Each time I've had to visit the Consulate, it has never taken me more than half an hour to complete the required work.
The people who have been complaining should pay a visit to the local passport offices in India.
Additionally, people who visit the Consulate should be more considerate towards pregnant women and new mothers.
From Mr Kamlesh D.
Dubai
Need a park
I am a resident of the Golden Sands area in Bur Dubai for the past four years.
With each passing day, I have seen Dubai change for the better and become a fabulous place to live in. I have just one complaint.
More buildings are coming up in our area and as a result, there is not a single garden or park available for children to play in.
The Golden Sands area is one of the best residential places but lacks the basic facility of a park. I sincerely request the concerned authorities to take up this issue.
From Mr D. V. Patil
Dubai
No place to play
I stay in the Hor Al Anz area. We had a small playground where every evening people used to play football. Two days ago, I discovered that the area has been converted into a commercial parking lot.
That was the only place we had in the area to play. Where do we now go?
From Mr Kailash Praveen
Dubai
Sleepless nights
I stay in one of the new residential developments located on the way to Jebel Ali. With the ongoing construction activities, there is a high level of noise pollution throughout the day and especially at night.
During the night, the loud noise disturbs the sleep of the nearby residents. I request the concerned authorities to take necessary steps to curb this menace.
This way at least the residents will be able to have a good sleep.
From Mr Subrahmanya B. V. V.
Dubai
Traffic woes
This is a special request from Al Nahda residents in Sharjah. During the morning rush hours there are traffic jams all over the area.
The problem is made worse by heavy trucks and trailers and it is a nightmare for road users until 9.30am. Finding a taxi is another major hassle. Additionally, in the evening hours, the roads are totally blocked.
How can we continue like this? I urge the authorities to kindly step in and address this situation for the benefit of the residents.
From A Reader
Sharjah
Name withheld by request
Check adverts in English too
This is in reference to the letter by Mr Daoud J. Khalaf, wherein he complains about grammatical errors in most Arabic adverts ("Bad Arabic in adverts is an eyesore", Gulf News, April 17).
Has anyone noticed how bad the English advertisements are as well? This is unacceptable.
From Ms Saira Jilani
Abu Dhabi
Dishonest traders
The problem of increasing rice prices is not confined to the developing countries of the world, but the UAE too. I recently bought a 10-kilogramme bag of rice, thinking it was the usual price of Dh38.
But when it was time to pay the cashier, he surprised me with the news that the price of the rice bag had increased to Dh64.95.
From Mr Amando M. Cabana
Dubai
Eye opener
I am a regular reader of Gulf News and find the reports on the ongoing global food crisis to be an eye opener.
The situation is worsening day by day, as countries are moving towards a more industrialised and compact society, with most neglecting agriculture and its importance.
I hope Gulf News continues to report on this issue. On another note, I have also read several features regarding the various public parks in the UAE.
If we do not take measures to conserve the environment, especially parks and wildlife, our children will neither be able to grow up in lush surroundings nor familiarise themselves with the beauty of nature.
All those who are dedicated to the conservation of greenery in the city deserve appreciation for their efforts.
From Ms Binu Thomas
Abu Dhabi
Wild imagination
I had previously seen the same picture of the reptiles five years ago, when I was in Riyadh (“Crocodile with stomach full of human body parts found in UAE, says email”, Gulf News, April 6).
The email said that the crocodile and snakes had been found in the water pipes of Dammam, in Saudi Arabia.
This is just someone using his or her wild imagination and creativity in a very unscrupulous manner.
From Mr Arun Nair
Dubai
Chain of stress
The question of the hour is - what is the reason for all the stress (“Don’t generate more debt in the hope of earning a profit in future”, Gulf News, April 12)?
The present scenario is that most of the taxi drivers have to put in over 16 hours of work to make ends meet, for a profession where all senses are required to be alert.
What does one expect when they come across as bad-tempered and rude?
Additionally, the poor heavy vehicle drivers move at a snail’s pace along the main arterial roads due to the heavy traffic and subsequent jams - will they not then step on the gas pedal when they glimpse some free space?
Motorists have to drive for over two hours to cover a journey that should normally take 45 minutes and this adds to the overall stress.
Getting a driving licence, even if you have decades of driving experience, is an extremely difficult task.
This should mean that all motorists on the road should be excellent drivers once they pass their driving tests, but this is not usually the case.
The high rents coupled with the rising cost of living have led to everyone becoming frustrated. All this can be easily controlled if the authorities bring down the price of rent to reasonable levels.
Let the rent be based on the amount of space that is rented, and not walls that are put up to make more rooms. T
his way, residents will be able to move closer to their work locations, and traffic will consequently ease out.
From Mr Salvador Fernandes
Dubai
Learn from Zimbabwe
Until recently, we were under the notion that inflation in UAE is of the imported variety and that the remedy lies in depegging the dirham from the US dollar (“Gulf currencies plunge 37% since 2002”, Gulf News, April 8).
According to a report in Gulf News, if the 37 per cent depreciation in the value of Gulf currencies is true, we will soon be carrying dirhams in buckets to buy our daily bread and butter.
We need to learn from what is happening in Zimbabwe.
From Mr Madhav Bodas
Dubai
Endless traffic
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) should take serious action to ease the life of residents in International City (“There’s nowhere to shop, say International City residents”, Gulf News, April 14).
People in this locality are facing endless traffic congestion as the road that leads to it from Hatta is closed and all traffic is diverted via the Dragon Mart route.
This route is much narrower and many people make serious traffic violations trying to overtake each other in a hurry to get home.
It is very frustrating for those who abide by rules.
From A Reader
Dubai
Name withheld by request
Help learners
I agree with the sentiments of Mr B. Narayan who suggested that the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) lessen the waiting time for driving test dates (“Test monitoring”, Gulf News, April 19).
I applied for my motorcycle licence in September 2007 and have still not got it. I finished the compulsory 16 classes, but the instructor has now asked me to take 10 more lessons, which would amount to Dh700 more.
The instructors do not help when they shout rudely if learners make mistakes. Additionally, they do not really pay attention during driving classes.
I urge the RTA to look into this issue and help me and other new learners who are trying to acquire their licences.
From A Reader
Dubai
Name withheld by request
Why the charge?
I was surprised to read the informative Gulf News article about the recent imposition of service charges by the Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (Sewa) (“Sharjah tenants to pay additional deposit”, Gulf News, April 15).
I live in a two-bedroom apartment in Sharjah and never before have I seen such a drastic increase in charges.
Additionally, no genuine explanation has been provided for the levy of these service charges.
I would like to bring to the notice of Sewa officials that any fixed charges in bills is an incentive for people who consume more water and power than those who consume less.
In essence, I have paid 95 per cent of my consumption as service charges, whereas I would have felt less troubled had I consumed more power and water.
On the one hand, conservation of water and electricity is being promoted and slab-based tariff systems are being introduced, while on the other hand consumers who are trying to consume less water and electricity are being penalised.
These service charges are going to add to the inflationary pressures. Sewa should instead shift its focus on rationalizing the slab-based tariff system and increasing its sources of revenue, rather than punishing consumers.
I also want to draw Sewa’s attention to the fact that their security deposit has been recently enhanced. Not many consumers are aware of this!
However, even if the arrears of a consumer remain lesser than the amount deposited, his or her electricity and water supply is disconnected in case of non-payment.
The question remains that if the security deposit is not utilized for settlement of arrears, then what is the rationale of security deposits?
From Mr Ali Wahab
Dubai
Helpless
I have been trying to obtain a driving licence since July 2005 — that equates to almost three years (“Dubai slashes driving licences by 43%”, Gulf News, April 16). I have spent around Dh7,000 as driving test fees and taken the test eight times, having made to wait for at least three months before appearing for another test!
From Mr C. M. Lawlor
Dubai
Wonderful impact
The Mughal Empire has had such a wonderful impact on Indian history (“Movie ‘defames Mughal empire’”, Gulf News, April 20). Mughals were the first people to bring India together as one nation to some extent, before the British took over. While India was considered a colony by the British, the sultans and Mughals became part of Indian society only during their time in power and helped spread India’s culture across the world. Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders, is one such example of the contribution made by the Mughals to world heritage.
From Mr Ziad P.
Abu Dhabi
Setting an example
I would like to thank Gulf News for publishing an eye opening report on the 12th Gujarat assembly (“Gujarat legislature parts with its past”, Gulf News, April 12). The assembly functioned without any disruptions and the exemplary maturity with which it was conducted proves how well a vibrant legislative system can work. However, much more interesting is the exhibition of ‘high standards of tolerance and harmony’ from the legislators of both the ruling party and the opposition. I feel that the people of Gujarat have made the right choice by electing their representatives, as they displayed commitment and social responsibility. Passing 14 bills by making judicious use of time and effort and without any adjournments of the House is an example for other parliamentarians to follow, especially those that are known for their misbehavior and immaturity. I hope the people of other states in India will also elect such responsible and able-minded representatives, both to state assemblies and the parliament, so that democratic values and parliamentary processes are upheld.
From Ms Shanama H. D.
UAE
Narrow escape
A bridge similar to the one on Al Khail Road exists on Baniyas Road in Deira just before the floating bridge junction (“New bridge on Al Khail Road ‘another death trap’”, Gulf News, April 14). All motorists approaching the floating bridge from Baniyas Road have to cross three lanes, which is quite dangerous. I do the same and find it very tough. Moreover, I have seen vehicles that narrowly escaped collisions several times in the area.
From Mr T. Saifee Mansour
Dubai
Irrefutable
The recent Gulf News comment on Iraq is absolutely right (“Iraq peace at the point of a gun”, Gulf News, April 12). We are now seeing more charges from the Bush administration, which states that America’s difficulties in Iraq are due to Iran’s backing of ‘special groups’. All such charges lack evidence. The irrefutable fact is that Iran has a cooperative relationship with Iraq. It also enjoys close proximity with all Shiite factions — relationships that have developed over hundreds of years.
From Mr Fariborz S. Fatemi
Virginia, USA
Conned
I was appalled on reading about Ms Sennen Rodrigues’s experience (“Misguided”, Gulf News, April 6). She had invested Dh66,000 but got back only Dh16,000. Customers should not believe sales people who focus more on generating commissions, rather than making efforts to help consumers understand the policies better. Unless consumers genuinely understand investment policies and the details that come with it, they should not get involved. I hope Gulf News will highlight more such stories.
From A Reader
Dubai
Name withheld by request
Evaluation required
I have no idea why acquiring a driving test date takes such a long time (“Dubai slashes driving licences by 43%”, Gulf News, April 16). The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has not yet given new learners a valid justification.
I had to wait 45 days for my test date, despite the evening shifts for driving classes being in place. I have been failed thrice, even though I drive well. I request the authorities to re-evaluate the driving exam procedure. I have become frustrated visiting my driving school over and over again — all I get is unprofessional behaviour and rude replies from the staff. I request the RTA to reduce the waiting period for test dates to a week. Monitoring and evaluating the examiners should be considered as well.
From A Reader
Dubai
Name withheld by request
Save the world
I appreciate the message that UAE residents are sending across this Earth Day and fully support the cause (“Green groups and youngsters across UAE to mark Earth Day”, Gulf News, April 21). I suggest launching a campaign for saving the Earth. Promoting the recycling of old newspapers can help achieve this venture. The aim would be to collect all old and used newspapers from buildings in order to make paper bags, used as a replacement for bags made out of plastic. Collection boxes can be placed in every building in the city. I am sure the papers can be collected and recycled on a daily basis. They are anyway thrown away without a second glance.
From Mr Sreesankar
Dubai
Full name withheld by request
