Taxis cross Khalidiya junction on a yellow in Abu Dhabi. Most drivers say they were slowing down when approaching a traffic junction. Ravindranath K / The National
Taxis cross Khalidiya junction on a yellow in Abu Dhabi. Most drivers say they were slowing down when approaching a traffic junction. Ravindranath K / The National

Up to 150 drivers a month fired over signals



ABU DHABI // Up to 150 cabbies are fired each month for driving through red or amber lights, a manager at a taxi company says.

After rules came into force on January 1, scores of taxi drivers a month have lost their jobs, said the manager, who asked not to be identified.

The laws from TransAD, the taxi regulator, mean drivers for any of the six Abu Dhabi companies lose their permits if they enter a junction when the lights are not green.

“Once we receive a notice of the drivers’ violations we have to terminate their services,” the manager said.

Four of Bangladeshi driver Bitin Kumar’s colleagues have lost their jobs recently.

“They had crossed the yellow light and had to leave the country,” said Mr Kumar, 42.

But Upul Dodanduwanewar, 40, a taxi driver from Sri Lanka, said he would continue to cross amber lights to stop his cab being hit from behind by a speeding car, as happened recently.

“My life is important,” he said. “I have three young children back home in Sri Lanka.”

Road safety experts have warned all motorists about the dangers of accelerating while approaching junctions.

“Drivers should be aware that the amber light is not the end of the green light phase,” said Dino Kalivas, chairman of the driver education and training committee at the International Road Federation.

“It is the beginning of the red light phase and the traffic law states that drivers must stop on a yellow light unless it is unsafe to do so.

“Drivers should always observe the signals and anticipate and leave adequate time to stop safely.”

When entering junctions, even if they have right of way, drivers should also look left and right to avoid drivers who may have crossed the signal on the red.

They should also not immediately accelerate on the change from red to green, but wait one second to ensure motorists are not running a red light, Mr Kalivas said.

He said some drivers had the idea that they must beat the signal.

“This attitude is very irresponsible and also is a leading cause of drivers not respecting the traffic signals,” Mr Kalivas said.

“Drivers should always look well ahead, observe and try to anticipate when the traffic signals may change.

“Drivers can also slow down by applying the brakes lightly to warn drivers behind them they are slowing for the traffic signals.”

Other taxi drivers in Abu Dhabi say they are slowing down when approaching a traffic junction.

“I still want to continue working here as a taxi driver,” said Nawraj Shrestha, 48, an Emirates Taxi driver from Nepal. “I stop and don’t drive through a yellow light. Of course I don’t cross a red light.”

Mr Shrestha said that every month 10 to 15 cabbies from his company had their taxi permits cancelled, mainly for red light offences.

“We are trying to reach our daily target of Dh445 but we must always drive with caution and not exceed the speed limit,” said a Bangladeshi driver, 44.

Nabraj Nepali, 32, who works for National Taxi, said he normally slowed down when he came across a blinking green light.

“But some people are driving so fast so we need to check our rear-view mirrors to avoid a collision,” Mr Nepali said.

Thirlal Bhattarai, 33, an Arabia Taxi driver said: “If I cross a yellow light, the traffic signal in the other direction will open. I also want to save my job.”

“We are all here to earn money. No one wants to pay a fine and lose his job so we have to follow the rules,” said Phurpa Lama Sarklama, 26, a driver with Al Ghazal.

The taxi company manager said his firm did all it could for its drivers.

“We are trying to support our drivers by providing them with refresher training that highlights respect for laws, safe driving and TransAD regulations,” he said.

TransAD did not respond to a request for comment.

rruiz@thenational.ae

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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale

Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni

Director: Amith Krishnan

Rating: 3.5/5

Results:

2.15pm: Handicap (PA) Dh60,000 1,200m.

Winner: AZ Dhabyan, Adam McLean (jockey), Saleha Al Ghurair (trainer).

2.45pm: Maiden (PA) Dh60,000 1,200m.

Winner: Ashton Tourettes, Sam Hitchcott, Ibrahim Aseel.

3.15pm: Conditions (PA) Dh60,000 2,000m.

Winner: Hareer Al Reef, Gerald Avranche, Abdallah Al Hammadi.

3.45pm: Maiden (PA) Dh60,000 1,700m.

Winner: Kenz Al Reef, Gerald Avranche, Abdallah Al Hammadi.

4.15pm: Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup (TB) Dh 200,000 1,700m.

Winner: Mystique Moon, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson.

4.45pm: The Crown Prince Of Sharjah Cup Prestige (PA) Dh200,000 1,200m.

Winner: ES Ajeeb, Sam Hitchcott, Ibrahim Aseel.

FROM%20THE%20ASHES
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Khalid%20Fahad%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Shaima%20Al%20Tayeb%2C%20Wafa%20Muhamad%2C%20Hamss%20Bandar%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
'Morbius'

Director: Daniel Espinosa 

Stars: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona

Rating: 2/5

Company%20Profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEducatly%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2020%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EUAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMohmmed%20El%20Sonbaty%2C%20Joan%20Manuel%20and%20Abdelrahman%20Ayman%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEducation%20technology%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20size%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%242%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEnterprise%20Ireland%2C%20Egypt%20venture%2C%20Plus%20VC%2C%20HBAN%2C%20Falak%20Startups%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6

Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher:  Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5

Electoral College Victory

Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate. 

 

Popular Vote Tally

The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.

Company%20Profile
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Bob%20Marley%3A%20One%20Love
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AL%20BOOM
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Six pitfalls to avoid when trading company stocks

Following fashion

Investing is cyclical, buying last year's winners often means holding this year's losers.

Losing your balance

You end up with too much exposure to an individual company or sector that has taken your fancy.

Being over active

If you chop and change your portfolio too often, dealing charges will eat up your gains.

Running your losers

Investors hate admitting mistakes and hold onto bad stocks hoping they will come good.

Selling in a panic

If you sell up when the market drops, you have locked yourself out of the recovery.

Timing the market

Even the best investor in the world cannot consistently call market movements.

Company%20Profile
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Florida: The critical Sunshine State

Though mostly conservative, Florida is usually always “close” in presidential elections. In most elections, the candidate that wins the Sunshine State almost always wins the election, as evidenced in 2016 when Trump took Florida, a state which has not had a democratic governor since 1991. 

Joe Biden’s campaign has spent $100 million there to turn things around, understandable given the state’s crucial 29 electoral votes.

In 2016, Mr Trump’s democratic rival Hillary Clinton paid frequent visits to Florida though analysts concluded that she failed to appeal towards middle-class voters, whom Barack Obama won over in the previous election.

Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode

Directors: Raj & DK

Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon

Rating: 4/5

Traits of Chinese zodiac animals

Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent   

Business Insights
  • Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
  • The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
  • US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
Kanguva
Director: Siva
Stars: Suriya, Bobby Deol, Disha Patani, Yogi Babu, Redin Kingsley
Rating: 2/5
 
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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SPEC%20SHEET
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Results:

First Test: New Zealand 30 British & Irish Lions 15

Second Test: New Zealand 21 British & Irish Lions 24

Third Test: New Zealand 15 British & Irish Lions 15

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Results

3pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Dirt) 1,400m, Winner: Lancienegaboulevard, Adrie de Vries (jockey), Fawzi Nass (trainer).

3.35pm: Maiden Dh165,000 (Turf) 1,600m, Winner: Al Mukhtar Star, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass.

4.10pm: Handicap Dh165,000 (D) 2,000m, Winner: Gundogdu, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.

4.45pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (T) 1,200m, Winner: Speedy Move, Sean Kirrane, Satish Seemar.

5.20pm: Handicap Dh185,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Moqarrar, Dane O’Neill, Erwan Charpy.

5.55pm: Handicap Dh175,000 (T) 1,800m, Winner: Dolman, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.