Emirati Jiu-Jitsu stars win 23 medals, athletes grab 11 medals, and People of Determination excel with 14 medals
Motorists have listed out the several personal and social benefits, as Abu Dhabi’s toll system called Darb got activated on Saturday.
Dh4 toll is charged as motorists cross four major bridges in Abu Dhabi during peak hours: Sheikh Zayed, Sheikh Khalifa, Al Maqtaa and Mussafah Bridges.
Motorists said the tolls would boost public transport means in the Capital and reduce traffic congestion, accidents, and pollution.
Darsan Sobhan, who works at a private company, witnessed a drop in number of vehicles on the road.
“I travel to work during the morning hours — the peak hours. Today, I felt at least 10 per cent of the vehicles were less on the road to Mussafah. This regulates flow of traffic during the peak hours. Also, I didn’t encounter the regular traffic snarls. If this is a constant scene for a while, it is good for everyone.”
Mohiyiddeen P.K., a transport supervisor at a private firm, noted a spurt in usage of public buses. He said the transport authority has introduced the ‘Park and Ride’ option with free parking and public bus services to Abu Dhabi City.
“I believe there will be an increase in the number of people opting for public buses now. If the transportation happens in an efficient manner, there will be demand for those buses. You will hopefully find this system of free ‘Park and Ride’ being implemented from different places. Even carpooling may become a popular alternative.”
Abu Mudakkamari, a public sector employee, pointed out that residents must look at the positive side of toll collections.
“I may be shelling out Dh8 per day from now, but this is manageable. Also ... there is a maximum cap of Dh16 here in Abu Dhabi. I like to look at the positive side of things. Tolls will lead to less pollution and cars on the roads, lesser number of accidents ... Reduced traffic blocks means more family time.”
Naseer Abdul Azeez, who works at a transport company in Dubai and frequently travels to Abu Dhabi, underlined the toll collection as an “important mechanism of development”.
“Companies will now look at the operational costs. It will improve overall efficiency. It will have economic and environmental impact. The toll collection will be returned by the government in the form of other services. So, this is a win-win situation for everybody.”
Emirati Jiu-Jitsu stars win 23 medals, athletes grab 11 medals, and People of Determination excel with 14 medals
The first of seven phases, Friday's vote covered 166 million voters in 102 constituencies across 21 states and territories
The unique showcase brings together a diverse lineup of comedians from India and Pakistan, promising an hour of non-stop entertainment
Work teams across all customs centres continued to process cargo clearance and inspections
The UN chief urges international community to work together to prevent any actions that could push the entire Middle East over the edge
This punishment sent out a message to all teams of the importance of maintaining a healthy pace throughout a match
Only 10 of Gaza's 36 hospitals are currently even partially functioning
The updated Meta AI assistant will be given more prominent billing within Meta's Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger apps