Penalties for defacing roads will be reviewed

At a meeting held here recently, the two organisations discussed ways to improve coordination between them to curb the misuse of roads by some heavy vehicles and construction companies, a Press release issued by the Abu Dhabi Municipality on Sunday said.

The departments agreed to initiate unified action against this practice that is against the municipal and traffic rules, which are being looked into separately by the two now.

The release said the officials have noticed that some vehicles and machinery are dropping concrete, sand and debris on the roads and pavements as they move around.

This practice is putting the lives of residents at risk, causing damage to the roads, obstructing traffic flow and defacing the city.

Besides, the municipality has to incur additional expenses for maintaining and cleaning the roads and pavements.

The meeting reviewed the municipal regulations and traffic laws related to these offences. The departments agreed to review the deterrent punishments.

Ahmad Shareef, Under-secretary of the Department of Municipal Affairs, said, "The department calls on the companies, the consulting firms supervising the projects in Abu Dhabi and all road users to take responsibility of and contribute to maintaining the city's standards by respecting public regulations."

Shareef urged the municipalities in the emirate to meet with companies and consultants in the construction industry to encourage them to respect the regulations and traffic laws in this regard.

silviaradan@khaleejtimes.com