There should be dedicated areas in the city where taxi drivers can take breaks (Dh800 for a Mawaqif permit, but no car park, February 2). They do indeed block parking spaces and cause a lot of disturbance to traffic by stopping outside restaurants in busy areas.
Phillie Hall, Abu Dhabi
On top of Dh800 for a permit, one has to pay almost the same amount per year for petrol to find a parking spot. We have been facing this problem ever since Mawaqif started managing car parks. Complaining to them is useless.
Jameel Ahmed, Abu Dhabi
The problem in Palestine
Joseph Dana's opinion article Ramallah's role in maintaining the occupation (February 1) offers a brilliant insight into the situation in Palestine – Ramallah in particular.
I am a Palestinian and I agree that corruption, collusion and treason are all there. The only problem I see in this argument is that it lays all the blame at the Palestinian Authority’s doorstep.
The PA simply got swept away because of the lack of Arab support and abandonment by the world at large.
You are well aware that the Palestinian fighters were thrown out of every place they established a base to continue with their struggle under the watchful eyes of Arabs and others.
What can the Palestinians do? Or perhaps it’s better to ask what the Palestinians are allowed to do. The world is unable to ease the siege on Gaza. The most powerful are ready to pounce on us like an eagle on a chicken. They did that by not honouring the results of the elections, which caused the two-state solution to take a new meaning – Gaza and West Bank, instead of Palestine and Israel.
Every day, a Palestinian is killed or arrested, their houses demolished or land confiscated. Maybe the world doesn’t owe us anything, but it owes it to itself to uphold justice and virtue.
Jamal Barghouti, Dubai
Swiss chef will be missed
One of my brothers lives in Aubonne, Switzerland, overlooking Lake Geneva and every year, for the last 14 years, I spend one or two weeks with him during the summer. Every year, one of the most memorable occasions was lunch at the Hotel de Ville in Crissier.
From 1971, when the restaurant first opened, led by Frédy Girardet, it has been a home of exceptional cuisine. Indeed Frédy, in his heyday, was considered by many to be the best chef in the world.
In 1996 his protégé of 16 years, Philippe Rochat, took over the reins and, in short order, regained the three Michelin stars that Frédy had been awarded many years before.
The standard of both the cuisine and service remained impeccable and it was essential to book weeks in advance to secure a table.
It was also in 1966 that Phillipe was joined by Benoit Violier and in 2012, when Violier took over, once again, the three Michelin stars were quickly regained ('World's best chef' found dead in apparent suicide, February 2).
In the summer of 2014 two of my brothers, Mark and Ben, their wives Wendy and Françoise and I enjoyed the chef’s table, served in the kitchen of the restaurant and, as always, the lunch was magnificent.
This superb talent will be sadly missed throughout the culinary world.
Jeremy Weeks, Abu Dhabi
Improve mass transit system
Regarding your editorial Go car-free one day (February 2), the mass transit system will have to improve before I can consider leaving my car at home while going to work every day.
Owen Neale, Dubai
I take the metro to work every day. It’s bliss compared to the few times I drive.
Chris Reid, Dubai
