Motorbike riders require safety reminders - Letters to the editor - The National Dt 7th March 2016

UAE safety experts call for stricter policing of motorcyclists (March 6) is a timely article.

I have noticed an increase in number of people violating safety rules, including but not limited to the non-use of helmets and poor maintenance of the vehicles.

I have seen delivery men riding without any respect for their own their safety let alone that of other road users. They often tailgate at high speed.

The authorities should contact the companies that employ motorcycle riders to ensure that these people get regular road-safety briefings.

Road safety should remain a priority for everyone.

Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi

To read it in original, visit The National online.

Abdul Kalam left a rich legacy - Letters to the editor - The National dated 30th July 2015

Abdul Kalam left a rich legacy

Your editorial A humble man with big ideas (July 29) was poignant. With the death of Dr Abdul Kalam, India has not just lost a great scientist, but a great human being.

Two major incidents made this week particularly tragic for the country, as there was also a terrorist attack in Punjab.

Dr Abdul Kalam was a visionary, as he devoted his time to nurture young talent. He realised that the young generation is the backbone of the nation. He was also kind and compassionate. Dr Abdul Kalam strongly advocated an action plan to develop India into a “knowledge superpower”. His rich legacy will keep his memory alive. His books, particularly Wings of Fire and Ignited Minds, will carry his thoughts and ideas to millions of people. May his soul rest in peace.

Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi

To read it in original, please visit The National online

Road tragedy a call for education - Letters to the Editor - The National Dt 15th July 2015

My reaction to your news story, Dubai police officer dies trying to help woman (July 12) is that this is a tragedy – and especially because it was the second recent incident in which a police officer has been killed in this way.

It once again confirms that most people just don’t realise that disobeying traffic rules not only jeopardises their own lives but also those of others. It is a lesson some people seem determined to only learn the hard way.

These type of accidents are likely to encourage the authorities to enforce stricter traffic rules for the people’s own good. That is the right choice.

All drivers in the UAE– and especially the young ones – need to be educated about being patient behind the wheel, not texting or speaking on the phone while driving and not driving while tired.

Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi

Lower the height of signboards - Letters to the editor - The National Dt 22 June 2015

Lower the height of signboards

The new Onwani system will make it easier for people to access every location in Abu Dhabi. What we have to do now is get used to this change.

However, I would like to point out that the signboards with the building numbers and QR codes have been placed too high. This makes it difficult for short people or those of average height to access them to scan the QR codes.

Lowering the height of these boards will enable everyone to make use of the QR facility.

Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi

To read it in original, please visit The National online

Don’t delay the midday break - Letters to the editor - The National Dt 08 June 2015

Don’t delay the midday break

With the temperature consistently remaining high, I would suggest the midday break be implemented with immediate effect. If you visit a construction site, you will notice how exhausted the workers are. It’s also necessary to ensure they get an adequate supply of water.

Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi

To read it in original, please visit The National online

TheNational@7: A truly national conversation with our regular letter writers

Ramesh Menon, Indian, living in Abu Dhabi
I’ve been writing letters to The National since its inception and have always found its best qualities are to raise important issues and to reflect the pulse of those living in the UAE. Letters to the editor bring important topics to the attention of the relevant authorities and there have been several instances when quick action has been taken on issues raised in this way. These include pedestrian problems, road safety, labour welfare, consumer issues and others. I am always optimistic of a positive outcome when I raise a community-related issue through the letters section of The National.

http://www.thenational.ae/opinion/feedback/20150408/thenational7-a-truly-national-conversation-with-our-regular-letter-writers#page1

TheNational@7: Citizen journalists answer the call

TheNational@7: Citizen journalists answer the call

The sight of two window washers working untethered on a narrow 13th-floor ledge of an Abu Dhabi high-rise was shocking.

They were equipped with the proper safety gear but had detached themselves from their safety ropes, leaving them at risk of falling to their deaths on the bustling street below.

The startled witness to this casual disregard of safety was Ramesh Menon, a technical officer at an oil firm who recorded it with his camera then alerted both the building management and also The National.

The effect was swift and emphatic: the window washers’ employer had its contract with Abu Dhabi Mall cancelled with immediate effect.

But because it was also featured in The National, publicity about the incident sparked a debate among those living here about the sometimes lax culture of safety in the UAE, including an editorial calling for zero tolerance towards those who take safety shortcuts as well as a flurry of letters to the editor on the subject.

What it also demonstrated in a wider sense is the way in which The National is an active part of our community. The newspaper does not just inform and entertain those living in the UAE – that flow of information goes both ways.

In Mr Menon and countless other ordinary people going about their lives, the newspapers’ eyes and ears in the community extend far beyond those of our reporters.

This is what the American playwright Arthur Miller was getting at more than half a century ago when he defined a good newspaper as “a nation talking to itself”.

Anyone who wants to know the hot topics of UAE society need only see how our readers express themselves, either through letters or on The National’s social media feeds on Facebook and Twitter.

Rising rents and the general cost of living, the plight of children caught in conflict zones, driver behaviour on the country’s roads, animal cruelty, the property market’s fluctuations, whether mothers should be compelled to breastfeed new babies, gratitude for the UAE’s accommodation of followers of other faiths, the process of Emiratisation and concern with the welfare of those on the bottom rungs of the economic ladder are all topics on which The National’s readers voice strong views.

We have learnt to listen and take heed when an issue ignites our readers, shaping our response with the input of the community.

In the best cases, this dialogue can both highlight a problem and lead to its solution. In the window washers’ case, it meant there did not need to be a tragedy – for the negligent window washer or any innocent pedestrian walking below – before action was taken.

The same dynamic applied when another reader’s tip alerted us to theplight of two puppies – one with a paw deliberately hacked off and the other with damage to its foot pads – that were abandoned in the desert outside Dubai and left to die.

Our readers were shocked by this wanton act of cruelty, but it ended happily for Stumpy and Bernard, as the two puppies were named by their rescuers. Readers donated more than Dh7,000 – enough to pay for their medical treatment – and this included Dh3,000 from an American reader who saw the story on The National’s website.

The best news came from a couple who read The National. Hank Harrington, a helicopter pilot with Dubai Royal Air Wing, and his wife, Lynn,adopted the puppies, who will have a large garden to play in when the couple relocate to Britain in six months.

These are but a couple of examples of the wave of instances of what has been dubbed “citizen journalism”.

This mirrors the changes that have taken place since The National’s first edition was published seven years ago. It seems like ancient history now, but social media networks, microblogging sites and smartphones were all in their infancy on April 17, 2008.

Facebook had only 80 million members then, compared to 1.4 billion now; Twitter members were collectively sending an average of just about 1 million tweets per day, a fraction of the 50 million now; and the iPhone had been launched in the United States less than a year earlier. Today the UAE has the highest per capita use of smartphones in the world.

These forces combined to enable those living here to interact with The National in a way unimaginable to previous generations of journalists. Now, when there is a multicar pile-up on a foggy road or a major fire in the UAE, we receive images from readers in minutes. Comments on The National’s website come from every corner of the world.

This is as it should be, when a newspaper is having a dialogue with the community it was established to serve.

jhenzell@thenational.ae

http://www.thenational.ae/uae/20150417/thenational7-citizen-journalists-answer-the-call

My thank you note:

It was surprising to see a special mention about me in the 7th Anniversary edition of The National! Safety First. Let the mantra within us be "Safety for Me, Safety for You and Safety for ALL".

Thank you The National team. 

Safety rules are being breached

Safety rules are being breached

I have seen workers in harnesses installing billboards or putting stickers on high-rises. But when I looked closely, I noticed that most of them did not have adequate safety gear. This has happened on more than two occasions.

Once, I was frightened for a group of men who were working on a seven-storey building without any protective gear whatsoever. I am sure that these are not stray cases. People will continue to flout the safety rules if such lapses are not reported.

At the same time, strict enforcement of rules is necessary.

It’s mostly smaller companies that ignore the rules as they engage contract or part-time workers. 

They need to be monitored all the time.

Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi

To read it in original, please visit The National online.

Walking reminds of an older time - The National Dt 27 February 2015

Walking reminds of an older time

Your article, Taken at walking pace, Abu Dhabi becomes a very different city (February 23), has prompted nostalgic memories of earlier days in Abu Dhabi.

There were limited taxis and buses so most people used to walk to work and back home. This provided the opportunity to see the city progressing and also led to more sun exposure. I believe there were fewer cases of vitamin D deficiency then than there are now.

Back in those days, the electronic gadgets of the modern era did not exist so people lived in the present more. It meant it was easier to meet people, possibly starting long friendships.

Now people are so distracted that I feel concerned when I see them ignoring their own safety by walking or crossing the road while using mobile phones.

I believe The National’s #startwalking campaign will be a great success, but it is also important for the authorities to ensure the streets and pathways are more user-friendly for pedestrians.

Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi

To read it in original, please visit The National online

Bus stops should be inspected - Letters to the editor - The National Dt 26 February 2015

Bus stops should be inspected

Bus stops should be inspected Thank you for highlighting the need to keep our city’s bus stops clean (Clean cities not cleaned enough, February 24).

That’s not the only problem. There are some covered bus stops where doors are damaged. They should be inspected regularly.

Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi

The National 26 February 2015

Death puts focus on road safety

Death puts focus on road safety

The death of Lucy Monro once again highlights the fact that road safety should be our utmost priority (Tributes pour in for British cyclist killed on UAE tour, February 16).

Not long ago, cyclist Roy Nasr died in a similar accident. All this points to the need for an increased road-safety awareness. Drivers need to be particularly cautious when there are cyclists on the road.

Those riding cycles should make sure they put on their protective gear before hitting the road.

Recently I saw a cycling enthusiast riding without a helmet and reflective jacket. Let’s try to avoid making such mistakes.

Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi
To read it in original, visit The National online

Abu Dhabi’s F1 Grand Prix was a great specactle - Letters to the editor - The National Dt 25 November 2014

Fans applaud the Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix. (Christopher Pike / The National)

Well done, Abu Dhabi, on a successful finale to the Formula One series (Hamilton takes Abu Dhabi GP, November 24).

The Etihad Formula One Grand Prix really was a treat to watch. The organisers did a great job from the issuing of tickets to the closing event.

Praise should be showered on the volunteers from Takatof who were well trained and well informed.

However, I have a wish list for next year’s event. It includes more television screens in the general stands, free earphones for following the commentary in English and Arabic, and a prominent display showing the lap number. Transport after the race is also an area for improvement.

Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi

To read it in original, please visit The National online.

School buses must be tamed - Letters to the Editor - The National Dt 04 November 2014

School buses must be tamed

I am relieved to know that road accident rates in Abu Dhabi have fallen (Deaths on roads decline by 17 per cent, November 2).

However, when I look at the way some drivers behave, I cannot believe that we have made any significant achievement in terms of road safety awareness.

For example, I regularly see school buses speeding through Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street, Corniche Road and through the narrow lanes of Madinat Zayed. I see them being driven recklessly almost everywhere in the city.

Are these drivers not bothered about the safety of children, that of their own and other road users? Are they not even afraid of punishment?

More importantly, there is no way to alert the bus owners about such dangerous behaviour as none of them carries the “Am I driving safely?” sticker. This issue needs to be addressed urgently.

Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi

To read it in original, please visit The National online

De Margerie’s death a big loss - The National Dt 27 October 2014

De Margerie’s death a big loss

I refer to the article New boss assures Total’s commitment to Abu Dhabi (October 26).

The former Total chief Christophe de Margerie was a true leader who personified human values, professionalism and charisma. He was a very special man. He was at the forefront of major events such as Adipec and Formula 1.

He was a towering personality who will live forever in our memory.

He was famous for his quick wit, pleasant demeanour and warm handshakes.

I offer my condolences to his family and colleagues. May his soul rest in peace.

Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi

To read it in original, please visit The National online

Jaywalking on the increase

Jaywalking on the increase 

I would like to bring readers’ attention to the fact that jaywalking has increased on the streets of Abu Dhabi – especially along Sheikh Zayed the First Street (formerly Electra Road).

I find driving in the evening quite dangerous, because people of all ages cross the road at will.

I don’t know why they do this without any consideration for their own lives, but I do know that a lack of fencing is allowing them to do it.

I believe the distance between the pedestrian crossings is too far, so people take the easy option. I also think that some people avoid using the underpass because they feel unsafe doing so.

There should be an official campaign to fine people who jaywalk, and this fine should be increased if the person is talking on a mobile phone or listening to music through earphones.

I would like to see fencing along the median strip and signage to indicate the location of the underpass.

Let’s work together to make safety a priority.

Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi

To read this in original, please visit The National Online

For all my readers:

(If you enjoyed reading this post and wish to subscribe to my blog, please go to the left hand side and choose the last 'box' which says subscribe. Also explore the many 'previous articles' listed month-wise on the links above on the left side of the blog. Share the posts with your friends through Facebook, Twitter or other accounts using the buttons below each post. Thank you and best regards - Ramesh Menon

New road will ease traffic - Letters to the editor - The National 15 September 2014

New road will ease traffic

I am sure commuters will be relieved when the road works are complete in the Al Wahda Mall area (Road works expected to ease access to Al Wahda Mall, September 14).

Apart from congestion, the bus stop dedicated to the shopping complex posed a visual obstruction for drivers exiting the mall. Another shortcoming was the lack of sunshades for bus passengers. These two issues, I hope, will be resolved.

Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi

Pedestrian bridge fails to lure capital jaywalkers

ABU DHABI // Residents and visitors darting through high-speed traffic to get to Abu Dhabi Mall is an all-too-common sight.

The “no pedestrian” signs, a footbridge across to the mall and another near Le Meridien Hotel are being routinely ignored by many and even a Dh200 fine for jaywalking has failed to deter hasty pedestrians.

At 4pm on Monday, in a 30-minute period The National counted 42 pedestrians crossing three lanes of traffic to and from Abu Dhabi Mall. Less than half that number took the stairs.

Many find it easier to take the risk and dash across the street. Among the jaywalkers were two couriers, a woman and her young daughter, a pregnant woman, two women wearing abayas, an Abu Dhabi Co-op staffer with a trolley filled with groceries, men in business suits, and groups of mall shop workers.

A 27-year-old banker, who did not wish to be named, said a jaywalking ticket would not deter him from crossing illegally.

“I got a fine about three years ago,” he said. “I’m so tired and I just want to get into my car now. I just don’t care if I get a fine right now.”

In March 2008, police raised the fines for jaywalking to Dh200 from Dh50, saying the lower penalty had failed to deter pedestrians.

The elevator installed near the pedestrian bridge had also done little to encourage pedestrians to use it, he said.

“It takes five minutes each to get up and down,” he said. “They need to do something about it.”

On Monday, the entrance to the elevator was cordoned off by police tape.

“This elevator is for the physically handicapped, visually impaired persons and senior citizens only,” a sign read.

A security guard said jaywalking tended to be a group activity.

“At 6pm, they all come in groups,” he said. “It’s illegal and dangerous, but they prefer to cross the road.”

Two Filipina service crew were apologetic when asked why they had crossed the road instead of using the footbridge.

“We’re really sorry,” one said. “We know it’s wrong but we’re late for work.”

Police are stationed near the mall to conduct random inspections and issue jaywalking fines.

“They’re usually here at 7pm,” the mall guard said.

Sajith Raj, 27, a fireman in Abu Dhabi for five years, said it did not make sense for people to dash across lanes of traffic and put themselves in harm’s way.

                         

“I always use the bridge when I visit the mall,” said Mr Raj, who crossed over with four friends. “Apart from being dangerous and illegal, a lot of time is wasted waiting until the vehicles pass.”

Mani Alumuthu, 42, a marketing officer who has lived in Abu Dhabi for four years, agreed.

“The Government built this bridge with the pedestrians’ safety in mind, but unfortunately only a few are using it.”

In February, Abu Dhabi Municipality announced measures to improve the safety of pedestrians and road users. Pavements have since been widened and standardised, new fencing to prevent jaywalking has been erected and electronic directional signs have been installed.

The Abu Dhabi Police Traffic and Patrol Directorate reported in July that its campaign “Towards Reducing Serious Injuries and Death Rates Caused by Run-Over Accidents” resulted in a 59 per cent fall in deaths caused by run-over incidents in the past five years.

“But the majority of the residents lack a safe traffic culture,” said Ramesh Menon, a technical officer at an oil firm in Abu Dhabi and a resident for 25 years.

“It’s very sad to see women with their children who repeatedly cross the road in undesignated areas. They are supposed to educate them and spread road safety awareness and help save lives.”

All pedestrians and cyclists should remember they have a key responsibility for their own safety, said Dino Kalivas, chairman of the driver education and training committee at the International Road Federation.

“They should stop one step back from the kerb or shoulder of the road if there is no walkway and listen in all directions for approaching traffic,” he said.

“They should also think about whether it is safe to cross the road, when the road is clear or all traffic has stopped, and observe the traffic lights and signals.”

rruiz@thenational.ae  

Safer roads require better monitoring - The National Dt 02 September 2014

Safer roads require better monitoring

In reference to your story, Heavy traffic but no major road issues as UAE goes back to school (September 1), it is indeed fortunate that no untoward incidents occurred on the first day of the school after summer break.

However, yesterday I witnessed examples of reckless driving.

One involved a bus carrying labourers on Sheikh Zayed Street along Abu Dhabi’s eastern corniche. It recklessly cut across lanes and sped off. It had no signs on it to indicate which company was providing the service.

This shows the importance of the police monitoring the roads from their control room so that when this kind of dangerous driving is detected, a patrol car can intervene before an accident follows.

I also believe this class of vehicles should be restricted to the slow lanes.

Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi

The National Dt. 02 September 2014

To read it in original, please visit The National online

A significant chapter in the UAE’s history - The National Dt 1 September 2014

A significant chapter in the UAE’s history

With regards to your coverage of the new national service programme (A proud moment for the country and its citizens, August 31), it is indeed a proud moment for all of the country and especially those who are lucky enough to be in the first batch of recruits.

I am sure the programme will mould a generation into citizens who are patriotic and proud to work for the good of the country, keeping it on a path of peace and harmony.

It will not be easy for many of these young recruits as the environment will be different from the one they are used to.

However, as true citizens of this country, they will, I am sure, get up to speed with the tough requirements of the programme. I am also sure they will emerge as a generation who are always ready and willing to serve their country.

Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi

The National Dt. 1 September 2014

Sheikh Hamdan's endurance win - Letters to the editor - The National Dt 31 August 2014

Sheikh Hamdan’s endurance win

Congratulations to Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed for winning the endurance gold medal at the Altech FEI World Equestrian Games in Normandy. It is an inspirational win, especially as conditions have been so tough for competitors this year. Let this win inspire all UAE athletes to excel in all sports they participate in.

Ramesh Menon, Abu Dhabi