Dubai bus crash: Omani driver’s jail sentence reduced from seven years to a year

A bus driver who was sent to jail after an accident in Dubai that killed 17 people two years ago had his sentence reduced to a year by the Court of Appeal.

In July 2019, Dubai Traffic Court sentenced him to seven years in prison, to be followed by deportation.

The accident happened on June 6, 2019, when the driver took a wrong exit from Mohamed bin Zayed Road leading on to Rashidiya Road.

Instead of going right, he took a left turn that was not designated for buses.

The lane had a height restriction barrier, which the driver said he did not see in time.

After seeing the barrier over the road, the driver swerved to avoid crashing into it, causing the barrier to cut through the roof of the left side of the bus. Most of the passengers seated on that side were killed. The bus ground to a halt 44 metres beyond the overhanging barrier.

Seventeen passengers who were travelling back to the UAE after spending their Eid Al Fitr holiday in Oman were killed and 13 were injured.

The Omani driver, 54, admitted to charges of causing the wrongful death of the passengers.

He told judges that the sun's glare obstructed his view, leading to the accident.

In July 2019, Dubai Traffic Court also fined the driver Dh50,000 and ordered him to pay Dh3.4 million to the families of the victims.

Two lawyers defending the driver took the case to the Appeal Court and argued that the barrier was wrongly placed on the motorway by the Roads and Transport Authority.

They said the RTA did not follow GCC standards and guidelines, which stipulates a 60-metre distance between height restriction chains and overhead barriers on a 60kph street.

"International and GCC standards state that such barriers should not be made of solid steel," lawyer Mohammed Saif Al Tamimi told the court.

Dubai bus crash: driver was travelling at more than twice the speed limit

Safety failings may have caused Eid bus crash that killed 17

Based on a request made by the lawyers, Dubai Court of Appeal assigned three engineering experts to examine the road and assess any construction flaws and if it was built according to international standards.

They were also asked to check for all warning signboards on the road, their positioning, and if they were clearly visible at all times.

The court reduced the driver’s sentence based on the report submitted by the experts.

The court ruled against the deportation clause but the driver will still have to pay the fine of Dh50,000 and Dh3.4 million in compensation.

The sentence was upheld by the Court of Cessation on Monday.

WEST ASIA RUGBY 2017/18 SEASON ROLL OF HONOUR

Western Clubs Champions League
Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Runners up: Bahrain

Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Jebel Ali Dragons

West Asia Premiership
Winners: Jebel Ali Dragons
Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins

UAE Premiership Cup
Winners: Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Runners up: Dubai Exiles

UAE Premiership
Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Abu Dhabi Harlequins

Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat

MATCH INFO

West Ham United 2 (Antonio 73', Ogbonna 90 5')

Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 36', Moura 42', Kane 49')

UAE squad

Humaira Tasneem (c), Chamani Senevirathne (vc), Subha Srinivasan, NIsha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Esha Oza, Ishani Senevirathne, Heena Hotchandani, Keveesha Kumari, Judith Cleetus, Chavi Bhatt, Namita D’Souza.

While you're here

Vivian Balakrishnan: UAE and Singapore can be partners for a world in transition

Sholto Byrnes: Singapore poll results show its politics may be at the crossroads

Chitrabhanu Kadalayil: Election is more than just a family feud over Lee legacy

Sholto Byrnes: Mugabe and Lee: two leaders with very different legacies

Key facilities

Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
Premier League-standard football pitch
400m Olympic running track
NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
600-seat auditorium
Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
Specialist robotics and science laboratories
AR and VR-enabled learning centres
Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills

MATCH INFO

Day 1 at Mount Maunganui

England 241-4

Denly 74, Stokes 67 not out, De Grandhomme 2-28

New Zealand

Yet to bat

Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.