DUBAI // Of the 100 new radar speed-camera stations being installed on Dubai roads, only 24 will actually contain cameras, police said.
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) confirmed yesterday that it was installing 100 new radar speed-camera stations – the grey boxes that house the emirate’s speed traps – but said that it was up to Dubai Police to install the cameras.
Dubai Police said they plan to install only 24 new radar cameras, and that these would be activated only in May.
In 2011, more than 1.5 million speeding offences were recorded by radar cameras, the Dubai Statistics Centre reported.
That figure represented a leap of about 115,000 on the previous year, when 1.4 million speeding offences were recorded.
Included among the new radar cameras are those at traffic lights to catch drivers who speed up to catch the green light or jump a red light.
Dubai Police only recently calibrated the cameras at traffic lights to give them the ability to catch drivers who speed up on a flashing green signal to make it through an intersection.
Within weeks, police said they registered “thousands” of fines.
Although the offenders were caught during a testing phase, a spokesman for Dubai Traffic Police said the fines would be levied because these drivers had been caught breaking an existing law – speeding.
Anyone travelling more than 20kph over the limit to make the light could have their car impounded while those going less than 20kph over the limit would face a Dh500 fine.
In 2011, 19,000 fines were issued for jumping a red light in Dubai – 1,200 more than in 2010, according to the Dubai Statistics centre.
In the same year, motorists jumping red lights were responsible for 199 accidents, and 63 accidents were caused by speeding.
The foundations, or casings, for speed cameras are managed by the RTA. Maitha bin Adai, chief executive of the traffic and roads agency at the RTA, said it had installed 450 radar stations, and 230 intersection camera stations.
However, not all of these contain cameras.
"In coordination with Dubai Police we have installed 320 radar speed cameras and 156 intersection cameras.
"It is imperative to review our law and compare them with the best international standards on a regular basis if we are to raise the safety standards on our roads."
[ malkhan@thenational.ae ]
With additional reporting by Thamer Al Subaihi
ROUTE TO TITLE
Round 1: Beat Leolia Jeanjean 6-1, 6-2
Round 2: Beat Naomi Osaka 7-6, 1-6, 7-5
Round 3: Beat Marie Bouzkova 6-4, 6-2
Round 4: Beat Anastasia Potapova 6-0, 6-0
Quarter-final: Beat Marketa Vondrousova 6-0, 6-2
Semi-final: Beat Coco Gauff 6-2, 6-4
Final: Beat Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-2
Company profile
Name: Fruitful Day
Founders: Marie-Christine Luijckx, Lyla Dalal AlRawi, Lindsey Fournie
Based: Dubai, UAE
Founded: 2015
Number of employees: 30
Sector: F&B
Funding so far: Dh3 million
Future funding plans: None at present
Future markets: Saudi Arabia, potentially Kuwait and other GCC countries
Pakistan v New Zealand Test series
Pakistan: Sarfraz (c), Hafeez, Imam, Azhar, Sohail, Shafiq, Azam, Saad, Yasir, Asif, Abbas, Hassan, Afridi, Ashraf, Hamza
New Zealand: Williamson (c), Blundell, Boult, De Grandhomme, Henry, Latham, Nicholls, Ajaz, Raval, Sodhi, Somerville, Southee, Taylor, Wagner
Umpires: Bruce Oxerford (AUS) and Ian Gould (ENG); TV umpire: Paul Reiffel (AUS); Match referee: David Boon (AUS)
Tickets and schedule: Entry is free for all spectators. Gates open at 9am. Play commences at 10am
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Director: Guillermo del Toro
Stars: Tim Blake Nelson, Sebastian Roche, Elpidia Carrillo
Rating: 4/5
Country-size land deals
US interest in purchasing territory is not as outlandish as it sounds. Here's a look at some big land transactions between nations:
Louisiana Purchase
If Donald Trump is one who aims to broker "a deal of the century", then this was the "deal of the 19th Century". In 1803, the US nearly doubled in size when it bought 2,140,000 square kilometres from France for $15 million.
Florida Purchase Treaty
The US courted Spain for Florida for years. Spain eventually realised its burden in holding on to the territory and in 1819 effectively ceded it to America in a wider border treaty.
Alaska purchase
America's spending spree continued in 1867 when it acquired 1,518,800 km2 of Alaskan land from Russia for $7.2m. Critics panned the government for buying "useless land".
The Philippines
At the end of the Spanish-American War, a provision in the 1898 Treaty of Paris saw Spain surrender the Philippines for a payment of $20 million.
US Virgin Islands
It's not like a US president has never reached a deal with Denmark before. In 1917 the US purchased the Danish West Indies for $25m and renamed them the US Virgin Islands.
Gwadar
The most recent sovereign land purchase was in 1958 when Pakistan bought the southwestern port of Gwadar from Oman for 5.5bn Pakistan rupees.
1971: The Year The Music Changed Everything
Director: Asif Kapadia
4/5
The Way It Was: My Life with Frank Sinatra by Eliot Weisman and Jennifer Valoppi
Hachette Books
MATCH INFO
Newcastle United 2 (Willems 25', Shelvey 88')
Manchester City 2 (Sterling 22', De Bruyne 82')
TWISTERS
Director:+Lee+Isaac+Chung
Starring:+Glen+Powell,+Daisy+Edgar-Jones,+Anthony+Ramos
Rating:+2.5/5
