Dubai transport chiefs have secured new powers to clamp down on motorists who commit traffic offences.
The emirate's Roads and Transport Authority said on Monday it had finalised an agreement which allows it to tow and impound vehicles breaching regulations.
Light and heavy vehicles, trailers, food carts, boats and bicycles will be subject to the enforcement measures.
Dubai Police are typically responsible for impounding vehicles in relation to traffic offences.
“Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority has signed an agreement with Emirates Parkings entitling RTA to tow and impound light and heavy vehicles and trailers found in violation of federal and local rules and regulations,” the RTA said.
“The agreement establishes the primary goal of towing and impounding loaded or empty light and heavy vehicles and trailers of all types, including mobile caravans, food carts, boats and bicycles that are spotted in field monitoring and found in violation of the rules and regulations enforced by RTA’s departments concerned with vehicle impoundment.”
No further details were provided about which traffic offences will come under the RTA's control.
The agreement sets out management of the vehicle impounding process and enables the RTA to have access to all reports about impounded vehicles.
Emirates Parkings will manage vehicle impounding centres and will be responsible for providing surveillance cameras and trained personnel.
“The agreement sets out the process of releasing vehicles according to the circumstances of each vehicle,” the RTA said.
“If the seizure was a result of a technical traffic violation, the vehicle will be released after the designated period and the fine is paid.
“In case of a technical traffic violation caused by a technical malfunction, the vehicle will not be released until the issue causing the impoundment has been resolved.
“The vehicle will be released after RTA receives all the outstanding fees associated with the impounded vehicle.
“The payment can be made through RTA-approved payment channels and the customers centre at Emirates Parking.”
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Company name: BorrowMe (BorrowMe.com)
Date started: August 2021
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Sector: E-commerce / Marketplace
Size: Two employees
Funding stage: Seed investment
Initial investment: $200,000
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The WEF study said there had been some improvements in wage equality in 2018 compared to 2017, when the global gender gap widened for the first time in a decade.
But it warned that these were offset by declining representation of women in politics, coupled with greater inequality in their access to health and education.
At current rates, the global gender gap across a range of areas will not close for another 108 years, while it is expected to take 202 years to close the workplace gap, WEF found.
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Only in the area of economic opportunity did the gender gap narrow somewhat, although there is not much to celebrate, with the global wage gap narrowing to nearly 51 per cent.
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At the same time, the report showed there are now proportionately fewer women than men participating in the workforce, suggesting that automation is having a disproportionate impact on jobs traditionally performed by women.
And women are significantly under-represented in growing areas of employment that require science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills, WEF said.
* Agence France Presse
