DUBAI // All the city's taxis will be fitted with new number plates after an order issued by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) yesterday.
The move comes after the RTA received complaints from motorists and passengers who claimed they could not decipher the number plates when they needed to report them to authorities.
The new plates, which will be mandatory on all taxis in the emirate by January 2010, will bear black numbers on a yellow background, as opposed to the current white numbers on a black background.
Some 10,360 number plates have been produced by the Marine Agency in the run up to their introduction with started on Tuesday.
The RTA uses German technology to produce the plates, which are made of aluminium. The yellow paint is also reflective.
Ahmed Hashim Bahrozyan, the chief executive of the RTA's Licensing Agency, said the authority intended to add more colours to the taxi fleets. "The change is also in response to customer wishes who complained from the vague plates at certain times, particularly at night," he added.
The city's five taxi companies have until the end of the year to install the new plates, said Mr Bahrozyan. However he added that he expected them all to do so this month.
The Dubai Taxi Corporation started installing the plates yesterday. It expects to have its whole fleet of 3,503 vehicles complete in two weeks, with 250 sets of plates fitted every day.
Adil Mohammed, from Pakistan, who has been driving in Dubai for a year, said it would not make any difference to his fares.
"I don't think it will attract customers but maybe it will be easier for speed cameras to spot us," he said.
eharnan@thenational.ae
Opening weekend Premier League fixtures
Weekend of August 10-13
Arsenal v Manchester City
Bournemouth v Cardiff City
Fulham v Crystal Palace
Huddersfield Town v Chelsea
Liverpool v West Ham United
Manchester United v Leicester City
Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur
Southampton v Burnley
Watford v Brighton & Hove Albion
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Everton
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
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
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Best Academy: Ajax and Benfica
Best Agent: Jorge Mendes
Best Club : Liverpool
Best Coach: Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Best Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker
Best Men’s Player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Best Partnership of the Year Award by SportBusiness: Manchester City and SAP
Best Referee: Stephanie Frappart
Best Revelation Player: Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid and Portugal)
Best Sporting Director: Andrea Berta (Atletico Madrid)
Best Women's Player: Lucy Bronze
Best Young Arab Player: Achraf Hakimi
Kooora – Best Arab Club: Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
Kooora – Best Arab Player: Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al-Nassr FC, Saudi Arabia)
Player Career Award: Miralem Pjanic and Ryan Giggs
