Blood Pressure High at ID Card Centres

More than 600,000 residents are required to register before the deadline on December 31.

Eida last week had stated that the residents not holding the ID card will not be able to access government services after the deadline.

The rush has overwhelmed the department with the web site down most of the time, the hotline continually engaged and forms running out. “It has been a three-day nightmare, and the registration has not finished yet,” Rahul, an executive with a private company based in Jebel Ali said.

“I have been waiting since 8am, and it is now 3pm, and I have started to lose hope. Even before coming here, I tried many times just to fill up the form on line, but to no avail. The system is always down or unavailable.”

“Why is it that only one toll free number is available with so many people calling?” wondered Moheb Asser, a manager with a logistics company.

“The number is always engaged or no one replies. It is very difficult for us to figure out the right step or get the information needed,” he said.

“It took me about four hours to get a pre-registration form from a typing office. There is nobody to guide us. There are no brochures or pamphlets. We are in a real mess,” said Um Alaa, a nurse, who was accompanied by her daughter at a centre. Mohammed Obeid, a UAE national, faced a different story while applying for his wife. He had his ID card issued very smoothly months back.

“I am fed up. I got my ID card on the spot, but I have to wait now for the delivery of my wife’s ID card, against which I am supposed to pay Dh20. How much am I supposed to pay for my big family and what about my children? Why don’t they go to the schools and finish the work there instead of giving us a hard time,” he asked.

Thamer Rashed Al Qasemi, planning director of Eida on Monday confirmed there is a delay while down-loading the pre-registration form from the internet due to the overwhelming response from public.

“Our IT team is working with Etisalat and the bandwidth of our website has been expanded three times before,” Thamer said.

However, he said, the registration forms are available at all Emirates Post offices and the typing centres attached to the Eida registration centres.

“We are exploring to find out the alternatives to ease the rush.”

Thamer said there are no plans to start new centres.