Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - Monday, June 23rd 2014 [ME NewsWire]

The Traffic and Patrols Directorate at Abu Dhabi Police has announced that trucks weighing 2.5 tons and over will not be allowed to enter the cities of Abu Dhabi and Al Ain during the rush hours of the holy month of Ramadan. In order to ensure a smooth flow of traffic, trucks will be prevented from entering the cities between 7:30 to 9:30 am and from 1:30 to 3:30 pm.

Brigadier Eng. Hussein Ahmed Al Harithi, Director of Traffic and Patrols Directorate at Abu Dhabi Police, stressed that traffic control will be intensified during Ramadan in order to prevent heavy trucks from entering Abu Dhabi. Al Harithi noted that violating trucks will face impoundment for a period of one week, a fine of AED 1000, and a penalty of eight black points on the driver's license for the first offense. The penalty for a second violation will be increased to an impoundment period of two weeks in addition to the fine and black points.

Under the “Your Safety” campaign, Al Harithi called upon drivers to: benefit from Ramadan's spiritual connotations; abide by the traffic laws and determined speeds on internal and external roads; leave enough space and pay attention; give priority to pedestrians at pedestrian zones; use seat belts; and to avoid using mobile phones while driving.

He urged motorists to also be patient and concerned about the rights of other people who share the road, to abstain from parking their vehicles haphazardly during the Tarawih Prayer, to avoid blocking entrances and exits of parking spaces or other vehicles by parking directly behind them. Brigadier Eng. Al Harithi also urged drivers to follow the instructions of traffic policemen, especially in front of malls and crowded commercial areas.

He stressed that drivers ought to remain careful, especially between 12:00 to 1:00 pm and from 4:00 to 5:00 pm, noting that the rate of accidents increased between 11:00 pm and 12:00 am. He revealed that these periods were determined based on an analytical study of road incidents and traffic safety levels of Abu Dhabi in Ramadan during the period of (2009-2012). The study also hinted that most major accidents in Ramadan take place during these noted periods, and that external roads witnessed about 68% of traffic accidents, while internal roads witnessed 32% of accidents.

Most traffic accidents during Ramadan were collisions, followed by running over or swerving. Traffic incidents during Ramadan are mainly caused by neglect, not paying attention, sudden lane change, speeding, running red traffic lights, not leaving enough space, entering a main road without checking if it is clear, or by the tires exploding.

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The Arabic-language text of this announcement is the official, authoritative version. Translations are provided as an accommodation only, and should be cross-referenced with the Arabic-language text, which is the only version of the text intended to have legal effect.

Contacts

The UAE Minister of Interior's General Secretariat, Tactical Affairs and Security Media Department

Abu Dhabi Police GHQ - Security Media

Chris Cron +971-(0)-50-987-1317

E-mail: cron.media@hotmail.com

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