Court case leaves cabbie jobless

Taxi driver unable to work after being jailed and having his licence suspended for an accident that he says was not his fault.

ABU DHABI // A taxi driver was unable to work after being jailed and having his licence suspended for an accident that was not his fault, he told a court yesterday.

MA, an Egyptian who has lived in Abu Dhabi for two years, was found guilty last month of crossing a red light at a T-junction on 26th Street in the capital, and fined Dh2,000.

He was detained for two days after the accident on February 17, but allowed to leave after handing his passport over to police.

MA told the Appeals Court yesterday that the case against him was baseless.

He said the lights had changed when he was stuck in the junction in heavy traffic, unable to move forward or back.

"I did not cross a red traffic light, nor did I purposely stop in the middle of the T-junction," he said. "If only there was a camera you would have seen the truth."

His driving licence has been revoked pending the outcome of the case.

"I have been living for two months now without any pay because I cannot drive my taxi and have borrowed money to make ends meet."

Without a driving licence he had no way of earning enough to pay the Dh2,000 fine in order to get the licence back, he said.

A verdict is due on May 3.