Sunday, May 18, 2014
The horrific accident on May 10 that claimed the lives of 13 workers as a minibus crashed into a truck parked on the hard shoulder has once again drawn attention to the misuse of these spaces. These designated areas have a very specific role to play in traffic conditions by offering space in emergencies. But hard shoulders are often deliberately used by motorists and truckers as a means to overtake other vehicles or utilise them as parking spaces, both of which are violations of traffic rules. Therefore, the decision by the Abu Dhabi Police to punish offenders who disregard the real purpose of a hard shoulder with a jail term is to be welcomed. In line with the Federal Traffic Law, the penalty includes jail term of one month, 10 black points and a fine of Dh600. The unabated spate of offences — Abu Dhabi police issued 4,930 fines for hard shoulder offences in the past four months — clearly points to the need for harsher measures, which has been addressed justifiably by the Abu Dhabi Police. It is hoped that other emirates will also consider putting into effect similarly punitive measures to make roads in the UAE safer.
By Gulf News
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