Car News

The regular Dubai Taxis already have cameras installed inside them and now Uber is also adding the same feature in its taxis. Talking about the new safety features in Uber app, Sachin Kansal, Uber's global head of safety product stated that with more than 15 million trips registered on Uber each day, there is nothing more important than ensuring the safety of both the drivers and the riders. He further added that the company has been working since last year to develop products which will improve the user experience and provide peace of mind to everyone. Besides adding cameras, the Uber app will also introduce a shortcut to dial emergency numbers as well as an option to share trip details with trusted contacts with a single tap. More features will be added to improve the overall security standard of both the driver and the rider. Kansal also stated that the addition of these features will not impact the Uber service pricing. Do you appreciate this step taken by Uber? Or do you think this is somehow a breach of privacy for the riders? Do share your opinion with us.

Starting next week, you will have to refuel your car all by yourself or pay extra to have an attendant fill up your fuel tank. Adnoc has deployed a pay to pump service across the Northern Emirates and residents of Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Umm Al Quwain, and Ajman will now be enjoying the free self-service system. For those who wish to have their fuel tank filled by an attendant will be required to pay a fee of AED 10. Moreover, in order to remove the need of using cash or cards at the pump, Adnoc will distribute 100,000 smart tags which will allow customers to pay for the fuel using a prepaid smart wallet. For an extra AED 10 fee, customers will also receive a windscreen wash, tire pressure check, and rewards. Tell us your thoughts regarding this new self-refueling service and let us know if you find it convenient or whether you prefer the traditional service?

Every taxi in Dubai will soon have free Wi-Fi, thanks to the new deal signed between Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and the telecom operator Du. The deal was finalized at the Gitex Technology Week and aims to improve the experience of commuters using the taxi service. Both the parties showed immense commitment to making Dubai a smart and lively city. RTA has announced that Du will soon begin the installation of Wi-Fi services on the taxis and within a year, all the vehicles will have the Wi-Fi technology. Ahmad Hashem Behroozian, CEO of RTA’s Public Transport Agency stated that adding the Wi-Fi service in the taxi will allow the riders to conveniently browse the internet on their mobile phones and carry out important tasks while traveling. The Wi-Fi service in the taxi will surely be helpful for every Dubai resident. Do share your thoughts with us if you agree.

The Ras Al Khaimah Police have been on a hunt for abandoned vehicles and as a part of their campaign, they have found 31 such vehicles from just one specific area. Talking about the issue, Major Salem Burqiba, head of traffic patrols section stated that the owners of these vehicles will be contacted and asked to remove the car within the next 10 days. If the owner ignores the warning, the vehicle will be impounded and will only be released after the fine has been paid. A warning sticker has been stuck on four of these vehicles and the owner has 10 days to remove them. As for the remaining cars, they have been impounded and transferred to the police yard. Major Salem Burqiba further added that some of the vehicles found were completely damaged while others did not have a number plate attached. Since leaving vehicles unattended for a long time increases chances for a criminal activity, it is important to have them removed at earliest. What are your thoughts about this step taken by the Ras Al Khaimah police? Do share your opinion with us.

Do you find it annoying when you have to search the parking lot back and forth for a free parking space? Well RTA has an excellent solution to your problem. Introducing the Parking Reservation app which was showcased at the 38th Gitex Technology Week on Sunday. This app will allow you to reserve a parking space in advance at a cost of AED 10 per hour while every additional hour will also cost AED 10. The payment can be done through the debit or credit card. Currently, the app can be used to reserve a parking spot in only two areas including Dubai Marina and Dubai Media City but more areas will be added soon. The app is available on Android devices right now but will soon be launched on iOS-powered devices as well. Do you think this app will be useful for reserving a parking spot in Dubai? Share your thoughts with us.

The Gitex Technology Week starts from 14th October in Dubai and one of the highlights of the show will be the driverless taxis. According to the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), these driverless taxis will run on specific routes at the Dubai Silicon Oasis and feature top-notch security standards. State-of-the-art safety cameras and sensors are installed on the taxis for monitoring the road and traffic condition and to control the vehicle to avoid any collision. These autonomous taxis will be used by the Dubai Metro and tram passengers to help them reach their destination. Along with the driverless taxis, the robot cleaners for metro stations as well as the 3D printed metro spare parts and an AI-powered chatbot will also be displayed at the Gitex. What is your opinion about these automated taxis? Do you think this technology can be trusted for human safety?

Abu Dhabi police has issued a warning stating that the motorists are required to halt when they see a school bus stop sign as failing to do so will result in AED 1,000 fine and 10 black points. Moreover, school bus drivers who do not open the stop sign while dropping the students will receive AED 500 fine along with six black points. Motorists are also warned follow the speed limit near schools while the parents have been informed to not allow children below the age of 10 or below 145 centimeters in height to sit in the front seat of the car. Abu Dhabi police is also running an excellent campaign to educate school bus drivers and other motorists about safe driving rules. Do you appreciate this step taken by Abu Dhabi police? Do share your thoughts with us.

The Smart Yard was first launched in February 2018 at Dubai Driving Center, Al Khail branch in order to automate the parking test and reduce the need for RTA examiners. Towards the end of September, six more smart yards were launched and another three will be operational by the end of October. By the end of this year, all 14 RTA test centers will have smart testing yards according to Abdullah Yousef Al Ali, CEO of RTA's Licensing Agency. The Smart Test comprises of a slope test, emergency brake test, parallel parking test, garage parking test, and angle parking test. The test usually completes within 15 minutes and till now more than 6,000 people have taken it. Thanks to the use of high-tech cameras and latest technologies, the automated parking tests ensures fairness in results and determines if the applicant has failed or passed. If you have undertaken the automated parking test, do share your experience with us and provide us with helpful tips as well.

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced a new rule which states that the electric vehicles in Dubai will now need to be accredited first before they can be registered. The reason for this rule is that RTA wants to ensure the safety of every driver on the road. Abdullah Yousef Al Ali, CEO of RTA's Licensing Agency explained that electric vehicles are equipped with complex electrical and mechanical components which can pose a threat to the users, roads, and pedestrians if not checked properly for quality. He further stated that RTA has alerted all service suppliers, auto agents, and technical testing personnel to not register an electric car in Dubai unless it has been verified by a UAE-based accredited agent. RTA is also conducting training sessions for public awareness and educating the auto agents in the UAE about electric and hybrid vehicle testing standards.

If you are a resident of Ras Al Khaimah and have recently been issued a traffic fine, we have some good news for you. Starting from next week, you can get 30% discount on traffic fines till November 1st as mentioned by Major General Al Abdullah bin Alwan Al Nuaimi, General Commander of RAK Police. The best part is that the drivers who have issued a traffic fine 81 days ago for violations such as over speeding or vehicle impoundment will also be eligible for the discount. This step has been taken in the honor of the Year of Zayed and the Ras Al Khaimah Police have also been working towards improving the satisfaction of residents by reducing the financial burden. Do you appreciate this step taken by the Ras Al Khaimah Police? Share your thoughts with us and also discuss what more could be done to make the life of an ordinary resident easy.

When you visit any shopping mall in Dubai, you must have noticed that it takes a considerable amount of time to find a parking spot and then walking from the parking lot to the inside of the mall. This problem can be fixed with autonomous parking which will not only make things convenient for the driver but also help save over $1 billion. Talking about the parking spaces, Andy Stevenson, Future Mobility Director at Mott MacDonald mentioned that the autonomous vehicles should arrive soon as there would be a need of about 10,000 new parking spaces in Dubai’s new and existing shopping malls. Stevenson further discussed that there should be a balance between the parking space and the time it takes for the visitor to park the car. By introducing drop-offs and autonomous vehicles, the need for additional parking space will be reduced by 40 percent saving around $1 billion (AED 3.65b). Moreover, another research carried out by University of Toronto revealed that since with autonomous car parking the driver exits the car before the car is parked, there is no need for the door to be opened once the car has been parked. This means that more cars can be crammed together to save space. Are you excited for autonomous vehicles? Do you think they are better compared to the regular vehicles present in the market? Do share your opinion with us.

If you love electric cars and you are a customer of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), then you can buy an electric car at a discounted price from the DEWA new online store on the smart app. DEWA collaborated with several public and private companies and launched its online store on the smart app to offer exclusive discount and offers to its valued customers. Moreover, customers can also get insurance deals as well as an option to pay for their purchase in installments. DEWA is conducting deals with different car makers, banks and insurance companies to offer its customers discount on electric cars. Till now, the company has signed an agreement with AW Rostamani Group and Al Ghandi Auto while discussions are underway with BMW and Toyota. Also, DEWA is partnering with banks such as Emirates NBD to provide easy financing plans.

Car registration costs a good amount of money in the UAE. However, if you own or plan to buy an electric car, you can get it registered absolutely free in Ras Al Khaimah. The Ras Al Khaimah Police have announced that there will be no fee whatsoever for registration, renewal and ownership transfer for electric vehicles from October 1st to December 31st, 2018. The decision was taken by His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah. The Commander-in-Chief of the RAK Police, Major-General Ali Abdullah bin Alwan Al Nuaimi, stated that the decision has been taken in accordance with the UAE's strategy to adopt clean energy by 2040. In order to promote the strategy, the use of electric vehicles will be increased which will help in reducing the fuel consumption. He further mentioned that this step will help in cutting down pollution and encourage the industries related to electric vehicles. Do you prefer electric cars over gas-powered cars? Do let us know if you plan to buy an electric car soon.

If you haven’t washed your car for a long time and it seems considerably dirty, better get it cleaned quickly or you can get a fine of AED 500. The Dubai Municipality has issued a warning stating that the residents cannot leave their cars dirty or unwashed for a long time as this damages the beauty and appearance of the city. Talking about the issue, Abdul Majeed Abdul Aziz Al Saifaie, director of Dubai Municipality’s waste management department mentioned that the vehicle will first be identified and if it seems dirty enough to spoil the appearance of the city, a warning sticker will be issued to the driver. The driver will have 15 days to clean the vehicle, however, if the owner of the car does not respond, the vehicle will be moved to scrap yard. If the fine is still not paid, the car will be auctioned. It is also important to note that this warning applies to those cars that have been unwashed for months and not the ones that have light dirt. In Abu Dhabi, the municipality gives a three-day warning to the driver and if the car is not cleaned, the owner has to pay a fine of AED 3,000. Do you think this is a good step taken by the Dubai Municipality to improve the aesthetics of the city? Share your thoughts with us and also discuss why is it important to keep the car clean.

The Dubai Police already has some luxury sports cars in its fleets such as the Lamborghini Aventador, Bentley Continental GT, McLaren, Bugatti Veyron, and the Mercedes G Wagen. Now, the Chevrolet Bolt EV has been added as well. One of the reasons to add an electric vehicle to the Dubai Police fleet is Dubai Green Mobility initiative through which the UAE aims to increase awareness about conservation and promote the use of electric cars. A total of 8 Chevrolet Bolt EVs have been added to the fleet and they will soon be seen patrolling on the streets of Dubai. The President and Managing Director of General Motors Africa and the Middle East, John Roth mentioned that the company is proud to support the Dubai’s Green Mobility Initiative. Do you agree that using electric vehicles in government fleets will prove to be beneficial? Do share your opinion with us regarding the benefits of electric and hybrid vehicles.