Tag Archives: georgia
17,467 tickets issued forusing phones while driving
17,467 tickets issued forusing phones while driving Staff Reporter / 4 September 2013 The Abu Dhabi Police Directorate of Traffic and Patrols issued 17,467 tickets during the first seven months of the year against motorists who were caught using their mobile phones while at the wheel. The directorate called upon motorists to avoid using mobile phones while driving, warning them of the risks of speaking on their mobiles as well as, reading and writing text messages, as it could lead to serious traffic accidents due to a motorists lack of concentration. Manager of the Serious Accidents Investigation Branch at the Directorate Major Abdullah Al Suwaidi, said committing such a violation also inhibits proper physical control of the vehicle’s steering as the motorist is preoccupied with holding his/her mobile device to identify the caller or to communicate with others. Maj Al Suwaidi urged drivers to avoid this bad habit so as to ensure their safety and to not disrupt traffic and cause traffic congestion. Moreover, he called on them to consider that their life is more precious than the time wasted by answering a phone call, particularly since traffic accidents occur in less than a second. He also stressed that the directorate has tightened traffic control on internal and external roads for drivers who are caught using mobile phones while driving. Violators will face a fine of Dh200 and four black points on their traffic record. news@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
Outgoing calls suspended for 3m cellphone users
Outgoing calls suspended for 3m cellphone users Haseeb Haider / 2 September 2013 Telecom providers etisalat and du have suspended the service for almost three million subscribers who were late in updating their information during the last phases of ‘My Number, My Identity’ campaign, launched by the Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (TRA). This means that a subscriber cannot make any outgoing calls, however he can receive incoming calls and text messages. Both etisalat and du have started to gradually cease their services for subscribers who were targeted during the previous stages. These subscribers were previously informed to update their information but failed to do so even after their service was suspended for three months. The total number of subscribers whose subscriptions have been cancelled is almost two million. ‘My Number, My Identity’ campaign, launched in July 2012, successfully entered its fifth phase, on schedule with the previously announced timeline, announced the TRA. The campaign was initiated in collaboration with etisalat and du to increase mobile subscriber awareness on the new registration procedures for mobile phone services. It also seeks to highlight the important role the subscribers play in protecting their SIM cards to maintain their privacy to avoid any misuse that may occur, since the registered subscriber of the number will be legally and financially accountable. The subscribers and licensees etisalat and du are participating in the process of updating information and registration in order to put into action the new policies and procedures set by the campaign which has a timeline of 18 months until the beginning of 2014 and divided into six stages in order to successfully include the whole country in the registration process. Etisalat and du have finished targeting four groups of subscribers and will now target around four million subscribers during the remaining stages of the campaign. On the launch of the fifth stage of the ‘My Number, My Identity’ campaign, Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim, TRA Director-General said: “The campaign focuses on the procedures that will be taken by the TRA in order to ensure the transparency in dealing with mobile subscribers and protecting their privacy if misuse occurs by users who use mobile services not registered under their names.” According to latest statistics registered during the month of August 2013, more than 12 million subscribers have registered and updated their data packages. This number continues to increase as more subscribers register. Al Ghanim called upon subscribers to register and update their data in order to avoid disconnection of their service, saying: “The licensees suspended the service for almost three million subscribers who were late in updating their information during the last phases of the campaign. He added: “The TRA encourages e-registration and encourages the licensees etisalat and du to make sure the facility is available to e-register which goes in line with the new registration procedures and to smoothly facilitate the process.” He said: “Companies can arrange with etisalat and du in order to register a large number of subscribers through one visit to the company’s office, in order to facilitate the registration process for subscribers who may find it difficult to do so individually.” The TRA confirmed that the current and targeted numbers mentioned above are approximate numbers that may increase or decrease, as the total number of subscribers in the telecommunications sector is subject to change as it is controlled by several factors such as the decrease due to cancellation of many subscriptions or the recycling of numbers by operators. haseeb@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
Visitors barred from driving to Hatta wadis
Visitors barred from driving to Hatta wadis Sajila Saseendran / 2 September 2013 Visitors and tourists to Dubai’s Hatta will be barred from driving into the wadis in the areas surrounding the dams in the mountain village as part of efforts to protect its environment. The Dubai Municipality has also prohibited tourist activities like swimming, fishing, camping, bonfire and barbecuing in these areas near the border. Hunting, cutting or uprooting the bushes or trees in the areas and destructing the flora and fauna are also strictly prohibited. Tourists are also barred from walking their dogs in the wadis and littering the area. The new instructions have been issued by the Environment Department of the Dubai Municipality which intends to declare the valleys surrounding the dams as ‘protected land,’ an official told Khaleej Times . “The dam area is part of a proposed conservation area. That is why the municipality has come up with the new guidelines to protect the environment in this place,” said Nature Conservation Officer with the Environment Department Jeruel Aguhob. The Environment department, with the support of the advertisement section at the Planning Department and the Municipality Centres Department, has fixed huge boards on the way to the wadis to alert the travellers about the new instructions. The boards say that legal action will be taken against those not complying with the new environment and safety regulations. The boards are fixed for tourists and visitors mainly to educate them to follow practices that preserve the environment including air, water and soil, the municipality said. “We want to prepare the people ahead of winter. A lot of tourists are expected in the winter. They shouldn’t be shocked when they go down the valley. That is why we have kept the boards on the main road leading to the wadis,” said Aguhob. He said people wishing to drive down to the wadis will now have to take special permission from the Municipality Centre in Hatta. “We won’t allow everybody to drive their SUVs down to the valleys. Those going there for research purposes and scientific programmes will be definitely allowed. Trekking in still allowed. But littering is strictly prohibited.” Tourists wishing to take photographs in the wadis will have to walk down to the valley, he said. Thousands of tourist and residents visit Hatta every year, mainly to take a break from the hustle and bustle of Dubai’s city life and to enjoy the beauty of the nature in the mountain and the valleys. Aguhob said the municipality will be preparing more educational materials to make tourists and tour companies aware of the new regulations. A tour manager from a Dubai-based tour company said the regulations would make the weekend Hatta trips less exciting for residents and tourists “There are only two major things to see in Hatta — the heritage village and the wadis. If people are not allowed to have any tourist activities in the wadis, it will affect the flow of tourists,” he said. However, a staff at a prominent hotel in Hatta said not many tourists are into swimming or fishing in the wadis and camping in that area. “They know that they cannot swim over there. They just go for a couple of hours and take pictures,” she said.— sajila@khaleejtimes. com Continue reading
