Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
E-scooters for hire were rolled out in Dubai on Monday in five districts that have dedicated lanes and cycle tracks.
A year-long trial of the two-wheelers could help commuters save them time and money on short journeys.
Residents have long taken short hops in Dubai's public taxis due to the heat and size of the city.
The sleek e-scooters are available to rent through mobile applications and cost Dh3 to unlock and 50 fils for every minute thereafter. Riders must be aged 14 and over.
Hopefully more people will use them and stop driving everywhere
Located in popular commuter hotspots, rental stations can be found in Downtown's Boulevard, Dubai Internet City, 2nd of December Street, Al Rigga and Jumeirah Lakes Towers.
British commuter April Kearns said the trial would be useful for short journeys.
“I live in Dubai Marina and work in Cluster L in Jumeirah Lakes Towers so it’s a great option for me,” the 31-year-old recruitment consultant said.
“If I take a taxi from my apartment to my office it costs about Dh33.
“For the past three weeks I have been crossing the metro bridge and renting an e-bike instead, it costs just Dh50 for the whole week.
“I would definitely give the e-scooter a go as it’s affordable, easy to use and cuts traffic.”
The city's Roads and Transport Authority said it hopes the trial will be more widely rolled out if successful.
Dedicated riding lanes, marked with images of e-scooters and bikes, have been introduced to the districts to guide users when riding.
Liza Encabo, from the Philippines, found brand new scooters parked outside DMCC metro station in JLT on Monday.
“I didn’t even know we could rent them by the minute, it’s a great alternative for people like me that do not want to fork out lots of cash for taxis,” the 42-year-old said.
“I usually get the metro to JLT and then just walk to different buildings, depending on where my job is.
“Hopefully more people will use them and stop driving everywhere.”
Local start-ups Arnab and Skurrt, as well as established operators Careem, Lime and Tier, will rent out e-scooters via their dedicated mobile applications. Users have to upload their personal details to create an account and can top up as they go.
Those looking to make use of the scooters, which can reach speeds of up to 20kmph, have to abide by a number of rules.
Users have to park the motorised vehicles in designated parking lots which have been marked out in different parts of the participating neighbourhoods.
If that is not possible, the RTA recommends commuters leave the scooters in locations that do not obstruct traffic or pedestrians.
Helmets, which cyclists must already wear by law, should be worn but do not come with the scooters.
Mohammad Ramzan, from Pakistan, is an electrician and often uses the metro to get between jobs.
“It would be good if more e-scooters were positioned outside the metro stations, as I could jump on one and move quickly to my next job," he said.
“It will be more convenient, not to mention much cheaper than getting a taxi.
“Personally, I have never been on a scooter like that so I would need practice first.”
Warning to e-scooter owners
E-scooter rentals were banned in early 2019 amid concerns over irresponsible riders.
The sale and private use of two-wheelers continued, albeit in a legal grey area, and the authorities only stopped riders if they rode dangerously.
From this week, e-scooter owners could be stopped by police if they are found outside of the five trial zones, officials said.
"We have to separate scooters and pedestrians so there won't be any accidents or injuries," Hussain Al Banna, executive director of traffic at the RTA, told The National last week.
"Although you can see some people using them, police are enforcing the law as much as possible in order to safeguard people's lives."
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
EPL's youngest
- Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
15 years, 181 days old
- Max Dowman (Arsenal)
15 years, 235 days old
- Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
15 years, 271 days old
- Harvey Elliott (Fulham)
16 years, 30 days old
- Matthew Briggs (Fulham)
16 years, 68 days old
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
More coverage from the Future Forum
Day 1 results:
Open Men (bonus points in brackets)
New Zealand 125 (1) beat UAE 111 (3)
India 111 (4) beat Singapore 75 (0)
South Africa 66 (2) beat Sri Lanka 57 (2)
Australia 126 (4) beat Malaysia -16 (0)
Open Women
New Zealand 64 (2) beat South Africa 57 (2)
England 69 (3) beat UAE 63 (1)
Australia 124 (4) beat UAE 23 (0)
New Zealand 74 (2) beat England 55 (2)
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Tiger%20Stripes%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amanda%20Nell%20Eu%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Zafreen%20Zairizal%2C%20Deena%20Ezral%20and%20Piqa%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204.5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4-litre%20flat-six%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E525hp%20(GT3)%2C%20500hp%20(GT4)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E465Nm%20(GT3)%2C%20450Nm%20(GT4)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeven-speed%20automatic%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh944%2C000%20(GT3)%2C%20Dh581%2C700%20(GT4)%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
MATCH INFO
BRIGHTON 0
MANCHESTER UNITED 3
McTominay 44'
Mata 73'
Pogba 80'
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.6-litre turbo
Transmission: six-speed automatic
Power: 165hp
Torque: 240Nm
Price: From Dh89,000 (Enjoy), Dh99,900 (Innovation)
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
