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The human face of Dubai Police

DUBAI — The Dubai General Department of Traffic, as a humanitarian gesture, reduced the punishment meted out to a handicapped man. His car had been seized for 510 days, but the police reduced it to 255 days.

However, the police did not exempt him from paying fines for various traffic violations he committed.

Major-General Mohammed Saif AL Zafin, Director of General Department of Traffic, said that the police had shown leniency because the UAE national had a problem with his back bone and leg and he was wheel chair bound following a traffic accident. Al Zafin said that the young driver came to his office seeking a reduction in the penalty period.

He said that he felt sorry for the young man. According to police statistics, the fines imposed on the young man for traffic violations in Dubai for the year 2008 to 2009 amounted to Dh75,910, while in the other emirates it was Dh6,520.

The man who is a post graduate said that the modifications he made to his car cost him Dh200, 000 while the price of the car was only Dh188,000.

According to him, he started driving when he was 15 years old, even before he got the driving license.

He also raced his friends in his car in Al Warqa area. The young man had lost many of his friends in traffic accidents while driving motorcycles and cars on high speed. His life too, was in shambles now since he is wheelchair bound. He revealed that he was over-speeding and not wearing the seat belt when the accident took place.

Cars to be confiscated

The Dubai Traffic Police will, from now on, confiscate cars on the spot if the driver takes to car racing on roads or sandy areas in Dubai. Earlier, errant drivers were imposed 12 black points and had to pay a fine of Dh2,000. And the car would be seized for 30 days.

The decision was taken by Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, Commander-in-chief of the Dubai Police after car racing was noticed in Al Mamzar, Jumeirah and Al Warqa areas. — amira@khaleejtimes.com

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