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Dubai police to apply stricter rules during New Year Eve

By Majorie van Leijen More patrolling vehicles will be deployed; parking alongside Sheikh Zayed Road will be strictly forbidden on New Year night
While some are planning their whereabouts, outfit or catering for the upcoming New Year's Eve, others are bowing their heads over the issue of how to smoothly let this night pass by a city where thousands of people are expected to hit the streets.

Dubai usually experiences an overload of traffic on the road on New Year's Eve, especially around the hot spots like The Walk, Dubai Downtown and Burj Khalifa , where a spectacular firework show is anticipated or World Trade Center, where famous DJ Armin van Buuren is set to perform.

And not only are automobiles out there. Outrageous behavior of car drivers on nights like these and other festivities, like National Day, seem commonplace on the roads.

But not this year, says Mohammad Al Safin, Major General, Dubai Traffic Police. "We have decided to put in place the same regulations as were implied on National Day."

This means that any sort of traffic offense will be answered with a three-month confiscation of the vehicle, on top of the regular fine that comes with the offense.

Furthermore, car parking alongside Sheikh Zayed Road will be strictly forbidden, Al Safin adds, and this too will be answered with a fine as well as confiscation of the car.

"We will have more than 90 police cars patrolling that night to oversee whether these rules are followed, and the penalties will be applied," warned Al Safin, adding that on a regular night about 50 to 60 patrol cars are on the road.

Measures are taken by the RTA in coordination with Dubai Police to overcome traffic convergence at one of the most visited places on New Year's Eve - Burj Khalifa , where no entrance by car will be permitted and 63 buses, 4,000 cabs and an all-around-the clock metro service will be employed to transport the expected 400,000 commuters to Burj Khalifa that night.

Dubai Mall, however, seems less prepared for the overflow of people likely to view the fireworks from the Dubai Fountains area. "There is not much we can do to make it easy for people to move there," says Shady Mohamad at the customer service of Dubai Mall. "We warn people to come early, around 22.00 o'clock to find a nice spot."

Last year, the mass that came to view the fireworks from Dubai Mall was reportedly squeezed when everybody wanted to get in and out at the same time, and visitors talked of crying children and panicking.

According to Shady Mohamad, first aid is available at all times in Dubai Mall, which makes additional measures unnecessary. Furthermore, he expects the measures of RTA and Dubai Police to pay off in keeping the flow of people within limits.

© Emirates 24|7 2011