DUBAI // You know the feeling: the pointer on your petrol gauge is perilously close to empty but there’s a queue at the petrol station so you think, I’ll fill up tomorrow.
Well, be warned – such procrastination could cost you not just the embarrassment of a conked-out car in the middle of the road, but a hefty fine.
Police in Dubai report an alarming increase in the number of vehicles that have come to a halt because they have run out of petrol, which traffic police chief Col Saif Al Mazrouei describes as “extremely irresponsible and dangerous at the same time”.
“To stop in the middle of the road or disrupt traffic can lead to serious injuries, or worse, fatalities,” he said.
Running out of petrol is not an offence, but stopping in the road may attract a Dh500 fine and four black points, and the fine for disrupting traffic is Dh200.
“It just doesn’t make sense for a motorist to pass by a gas station when they notice the tank empty. In fact, people are advised to fill up their tanks when they still have a quarter left,” said Maj Mohamed Al Qaydi, head of traffic patrols in Bur Dubai.
“A person’s life is precious, and if someone does run out of gas, then it is imperative they do not end up in the middle of the street or disrupting traffic,” Maj Al Qaydi said.
“I understand that sometimes there are a lot of people waiting in line at the gas station, but that is no excuse to put your life and the lives of others in danger.”
An attendant at a petrol station on Sheikh Zayed Road said that he has at least two customers a day who ask for fuel be filled in a container because their cars have stopped near by.
“It happens on a daily basis. We get two or three people that come to the station and purchase a container for either Dh65 or Dh30,” he said.
Dubai resident Dina Kassem, 23, believed the reason for such incidents was that people were always in a hurry.
“I’ve had a few close calls in which I’ve felt the car was going to run out of fuel,” she said. “No one wants to intentionally run out of gas, but, in my case, I’m always either in a hurry in the morning to get to work or too exhausted to wait in a queue at the gas station after my shift.
“Almost every time I have gone to fill up, it would take me at least 15 minutes.”
Paul, 54, whose vehicle has come to a halt because it ran out of fuel, said he found crowded petrol stations an inconvenience.
“I was on my way to Dubai from Abu Dhabi and realised I needed to refuel. The first gas station I saw was very crowded, and I decided to drive to the next one.
“Unfortunately, my car stopped about 300 metres away from the station. My car started to stall, and I was forced to park on the side of the road and walk back to get fuel.
“You always think the next gas station is going to be less crowded, but that is never the case.”
For Rabia Jamal, 27, who recently moved to the UAE, waiting in line to fill up is still preferable to running out of fuel.
“I just moved here, and I’m constantly worried that I would run out of gas because I keep getting lost on the roads, and, sometimes, a detour would put me back another 20 minutes,” she said.
“I would rather leave my house early before an appointment to make sure I have a full tank than run the risk of getting stuck in the middle of nowhere.”
dmoukhallati@thenational.ae
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Key findings
- Over a period of seven years, a team of scientists analysed dietary data from 50,000 North American adults.
- Eating one or two meals a day was associated with a relative decrease in BMI, compared with three meals. Snacks count as a meal. Likewise, participants who ate more than three meals a day experienced an increase in BMI: the more meals a day, the greater the increase.
- People who ate breakfast experienced a relative decrease in their BMI compared with “breakfast-skippers”.
- Those who turned the eating day on its head to make breakfast the biggest meal of the day, did even better.
- But scrapping dinner altogether gave the best results. The study found that the BMI of subjects who had a long overnight fast (of 18 hours or more) decreased when compared even with those who had a medium overnight fast, of between 12 and 17 hours.
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Janet Yellen's Firsts
- In 2014, she became the first woman to lead the US Federal Reserve
- In 1999, she became the first female chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers
Your Guide to the Home
- Level 1 has a valet service if you choose not to park in the basement level. This level houses all the kitchenware, including covetable brand French Bull, along with a wide array of outdoor furnishings, lamps and lighting solutions, textiles like curtains, towels, cushions and bedding, and plenty of other home accessories.
- Level 2 features curated inspiration zones and solutions for bedrooms, living rooms and dining spaces. This is also where you’d go to customise your sofas and beds, and pick and choose from more than a dozen mattress options.
- Level 3 features The Home’s “man cave” set-up and a display of industrial and rustic furnishings. This level also has a mother’s room, a play area for children with staff to watch over the kids, furniture for nurseries and children’s rooms, and the store’s design studio.
The%20specs%3A%202024%20Mercedes%20E200
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What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
Company profile
Date started: December 24, 2018
Founders: Omer Gurel, chief executive and co-founder and Edebali Sener, co-founder and chief technology officer
Based: Dubai Media City
Number of employees: 42 (34 in Dubai and a tech team of eight in Ankara, Turkey)
Sector: ConsumerTech and FinTech
Cashflow: Almost $1 million a year
Funding: Series A funding of $2.5m with Series B plans for May 2020
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
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Abu Dhabi
Umm Al Emarat Park
Yas Gateway Park
Delma Park
Al Bateen beach
Saadiyaat beach
The Corniche
Zayed Sports City
Dubai
Kite Beach
Zabeel Park
Al Nahda Pond Park
Mushrif Park
Safa Park
Al Mamzar Beach Park
Al Qudrah Lakes
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
