“Am I driving safely?” No, but there is no point in calling the number on the lorries

The National finds that many of the safe-driving phone numbers you see on the backs of lorries in the UAE are out of service, though there are one or two companies that do take their drivers' road conduct seriously.

Are you driving safely stickers are a common sight on UAE roads but The National finds that it is hit and miss whether the telephone numbers actually work. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National

ABU DHABI // Every driver in the UAE has seen them, and almost everyone has been tempted to pick up the phone and call the number at some point, but has probably refrained.

The question “Am I driving safely?” posted on stickers located on the back of vans and lorries in the UAE can, on many occasions, be answered with a resounding “no”.

But The National found that picking up the phone to call would often be futile because, of the 23 numbers we chose at random, 14 were either out of service or no one bothered to pick up.

One number was incomplete while another was answered by the company’s security guard, who said the company’s transport department would usually take complaints but that they close at 2pm during Ramadan.

But there was some hope of making a worthwhile complaint with a few of the other companies contacted.

“We usually ask people what the complaint is about, then we check with our drivers what happened,” said Brian Uba, the service manager of Sophia Refrigeration, which has three drivers in Sharjah.

“The outcome will depend on the investigation, but we usually give a warning.”

So far, the company has never fired a driver. “It would take three to four warnings before getting fired,” he said.

“But I’ve never received a complaint and I know my drivers very well.”

Gulf Safa, a dairy company based in Abu Dhabi, hopes to install GPS technology in its vehicles next year to better monitor driver activity.

“We’re trying to use a GPS monitoring system in our vehicles,” said Motaz Kalaho, the general manager. “It will track everything in the lorry, from the temperature to the driver’s movement. Everything can be controlled from the branch and we will even be able to send voice messages to the driver.”

He said such a system was required in the UAE.

“We need it to have really professional people working for us,” said Mr Kalaho. “Otherwise, it would just be chaos.”

The company’s usual procedure involves providing the vehicle’s number plate and the driver’s name to management. “We make sure to get both sides of the story and action will be taken depending on the complaint,” he said. “We give a maximum of three warning letters before termination, especially if the driver is ruining the image of the company.”

Gulf Safa has received complaints for some of their 75 drivers and 60 lorries. “Three months ago, someone called to say the driver was speeding, in a hurry, honking and giving bad hand gestures,” Mr Kalaho said. “We gave him a warning and three days of salary deduction.”

Foods distributor MH Enterprises also gives out a notice and one-day salary deductions to bad drivers.

“We receive a lot of complaints but we haven’t fired anyone yet,” said Sukh Vinder, the transport manager in Dubai. “We have more than 120 drivers and more than 110 trucks. Most of the complaints involve overtaking, sudden braking and speed.”

Fouress Safety Shoes, a Sharjah-based company, first call their driver to find out whether he has been driving recklessly. “We give up to three warnings but we haven’t fired anyone yet,” said Natha Barghese, the sales coordinator.

“We have three drivers and we rarely receive complaints, but it’s important to have these numbers at the back of the lorries because people should inform us if drivers give them problems.”

Moussa Abdullah, a police traffic officer in Dubai, said drivers should call police directly if they witness reckless driving. “It will be more efficient to call the police straight away because these numbers dial the companies themselves,” he said.

“They could potentially remove the driver but we take action faster than the company.”

The department receives thousands of complaints about poor driving each week. “The usual procedure involves giving a fine and taking the car away,” Mr Abdullah said. “It is definitely quicker if people call us directly and that can help to make the roads safer.”