Drivers don’t respect laws
when i passed the driving test in 1964, the corporal was keen to inform me that i have to give way for the amir’s motorcade and ambulances, but because of the changing security conditions, special arrangements are made for the amir’s motorcade and other official entourages.
before i took a driving test in britain in the 1980s, i was advised by many to avoid talking to the officer but listen to his instructions, and not even say good morning unlike what is going on in our countries because the examiner is always bribed before the test.
with the insistence of the ministry of interior to allow the use of the safety lane (shoulder) on some roads and for some time, which is now in all roads and at any time, ambulances are forced to use normal roadways with other vehicles even in the most emergency situations.
because of the diversity of nationalities and cultures of drivers in kuwait, the rising temperatures and the urge by everyone to finish work as soon as possible and return home, it has become but natural to see an ambulance or police using sirens and fl ash lights to force motorists to give way. nonetheless, no one cares to give way either because of inability or ignorance or pure stubbornness.
the sirens of ambulances and police cars nowadays mean nothing to many motorists which are treated like a referee’s whistle during any football match. there is no doubt such disregard results in serious consequences not only for those who are seriously ill but also to the ethics of the road users in general.
the dubai government has taken a decisive step to force motorists to respond swiftly and give way to ambulances. the seconds ticking on a clock here means life and death for someone. the government has increased fines from 1,000 dirhams to 4,000 dirhams equal to 250 dinars and other technical penalties for those who fail to obey the law.
this type of violation will be monitored through surveillance cameras at intersections and sensitive locations. we do not have a severe punishment here for those who obstruct the ambulances, especially since they have no room to use the shoulder of the road after allowing others to use it.
most drivers pay no attention to the matter because of the modest nature of their culture, therefore there is a dire need to find a radical solution so that ambulances move freely and perform their duties. this can be done by prohibiting the use of safety lanes by others and applying the previous traffic rule in this regard, allowing ambulance drivers to photograph the vehicles that obstruct their move and to provide the pictures to the traffic department.
all drivers must be informed in different languages and through means of communications and during driving tests about the need to make way for ambulances and police vehicles and more importantly initiate harsher punishment for violators.
a picture of an ambulance passing through the center of a millionstrong crowd of protestors was seen in hong kong a few days ago, and we saw how people made way for it in a respectful manner. if this happened in our country, the vehicle will run out of fuel, let alone the fate of the sick inside the ambulance.
