Cairo // A month and a half after a new traffic law was enforced, there has been little visible improvement in the safety of Egypt's roads, where major collisions claim thousands of lives every year.
On Monday, 12 people including six foreign tourists were killed when their coach collided head-on with a lorry along the west coast of Egypt's Sinai peninsula. At least 37 people were also injured in the collision, not far from the popular Sinai resort of Sharm el Sheikh.
On Saturday, three Italian tourists were killed when the minibus they were travelling in overturned on Sinai's eastern coast, near the resort of Dahab.
According to the transportation ministry, at least 8,000 people died and 30,000 were hurt in road collisions in Egypt in 2006, one of the highest rates in Africa, though it is widely believed the real figure is far higher.
Egypt introduced a new traffic law on Aug 1 to improve road safety and ease the country's chronic road congestion.
Those found talking on a mobile phone or not wearing a seat belt face a fine of 300 Egyptian pounds (Dh200), while driving in the wrong direction on a one-way street can result in a fine of up to 3,000 pounds.
"The law will bring order to our streets and safeguard lives and property," Sherif Gomaa, the deputy interior minister, told reporters before the law was introduced, adding that it would be "firmly and mercilessly enforced".
Mohammed Mansour, the transportation minister, said the new law would greatly reduce car collisions and that it was "badly needed".
However, critics said those caught will simply bribe traffic police. What is needed, they said, is the enforcement of existing laws and awareness of - and a culture of respect for - traffic safety.
"The new traffic law never meant better traffic, but higher bribes for policemen and tips for parking boys," said Moustafa el Sayed, a Cairo resident and driver.
More than four million cars roam the streets of Cairo, including about 80,000 taxis, many of which are up to 40 years old. It is common to find taxis without seat belts or door handles and with bald tyres.
The new law stipulates that drivers of vehicles more than 20 years old now have three years to get them off the road and replace them with new ones.
Minibuses - which officials said transport about 2.7 million people each day - can be seen careering around the streets of Cairo with little respect for other cars and pedestrians and are the cause of a high number of collisions.
Their low-paid drivers - immortalised in the hit 1996 movie Demons of Asphalt - are known to take drugs to stay awake on long shifts.
"Taking the minibus is a daily adventure," said Amal Hamed, 25, who works in a clothes shop, as she waited for a minibus to take her home to the teeming neighbourhood of Shoubra. "When I arrive home safely, I pray to thank God I'm still alive.
But others are less sanguine about the situation.
"My three children were subject to a horrendous car accident by a minibus that was driving in the wrong direction, not very far from a traffic checkpoint," wrote Khairy Ramadan, an Egyptian columnist, in the independent daily Al Masry Al Youm this month.
"My car was destroyed and one of my sons was bleeding and his face was badly bruised, while the minibus driver fled the scene of the accident."
The driver was later arrested but was released shortly afterwards without a fine, Mr Ramadan wrote.
Inadequate infrastructure in Egypt's big cities is also blamed for the number of collisions. Traffic lights often do not work and roads are cracked and ageing.
"I keep telling myself, smile you are in Egypt, and if there is no heavy traffic that would mean that there is something wrong, or that it's a holiday and I shouldn't have been on my way to work," one caller named Rehab said on a popular morning radio show, which advises listeners on the traffic situation.
There are no official statistics to say whether the new law has helped reduce road collisions.
But according to Mr Ramadan, it is not off to a good start.
"I'm not only angry for my children, but for the new law," he wrote, referring to the minibus that crashed into his car. "If this driver wasn't imprisoned while driving in the opposite direction, without a licence, and after posing danger to children's lives, when will he be imprisoned?
"How can we trust the law while we see that the criminal was set free to continue his crimes by his rash driving?"
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Stuck in a job without a pay rise? Here's what to do
Chris Greaves, the managing director of Hays Gulf Region, says those without a pay rise for an extended period must start asking questions – both of themselves and their employer.
“First, are they happy with that or do they want more?” he says. “Job-seeking is a time-consuming, frustrating and long-winded affair so are they prepared to put themselves through that rigmarole? Before they consider that, they must ask their employer what is happening.”
Most employees bring up pay rise queries at their annual performance appraisal and find out what the company has in store for them from a career perspective.
Those with no formal appraisal system, Mr Greaves says, should ask HR or their line manager for an assessment.
“You want to find out how they value your contribution and where your job could go,” he says. “You’ve got to be brave enough to ask some questions and if you don’t like the answers then you have to develop a strategy or change jobs if you are prepared to go through the job-seeking process.”
For those that do reach the salary negotiation with their current employer, Mr Greaves says there is no point in asking for less than 5 per cent.
“However, this can only really have any chance of success if you can identify where you add value to the business (preferably you can put a monetary value on it), or you can point to a sustained contribution above the call of duty or to other achievements you think your employer will value.”
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From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
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Transmission: 8-speed automatic
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Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
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APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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6 UNDERGROUND
Director: Michael Bay
Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Adria Arjona, Dave Franco
2.5 / 5 stars
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Power: 400hp
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Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
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Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
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SM Town Live is on Friday, April 6 at Autism Rocks Arena, Dubai. Tickets are Dh375 at www.platinumlist.net
England World Cup squad
Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Jos Buttler (wkt), Tom Curran, Liam Dawson, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, James Vince, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
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Transmission: 8-speed automatic
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SPECS
Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
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Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
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Panipat
Director Ashutosh Gowariker
Produced Ashutosh Gowariker, Rohit Shelatkar, Reliance Entertainment
Cast Arjun Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Kriti Sanon, Mohnish Behl, Padmini Kolhapure, Zeenat Aman
Rating 3 /5 stars
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How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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The specs: 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLE
Price, base / as tested Dh274,000 (estimate)
Engine 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder
Gearbox Nine-speed automatic
Power 245hp @ 4,200rpm
Torque 500Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined 6.4L / 100km
Tree of Hell
Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla
Director: Raed Zeno
Rating: 4/5
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Racecard
6pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 Group 1 (PA) $55,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
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7.45pm: Firebreak Stakes Group 3 (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,600m
8.20pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 Group 2 (TB) $350,000 (D) 1,900m
8.55pm: Al Bastakiya Trial Conditions (TB) $60,000 (D) 1,900m
9.30pm: Balanchine Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,800m
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants
Jebel Ali card
1.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,400m
2.15pm: Handicap Dh90,000 1,400m
2.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,000m
3.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,200m
3.45pm: Maiden Dh75,000 1,600m
4.15pm: Handicap Dh105,000 1,600m
4.45pm: Handicap Dh80,000 1,800m
The National selections
1.45pm: Cosmic Glow
2.15pm: Karaginsky
2.45pm: Welcome Surprise
3.15pm: Taamol
3.45pm: Rayig
4.15pm: Chiefdom
4.45pm: California Jumbo
If you go
The flights Etihad (www.etihad.com) and Spice Jet (www.spicejet.com) fly direct from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Pune respectively from Dh1,000 return including taxes. Pune airport is 90 minutes away by road.
The hotels A stay at Atmantan Wellness Resort (www.atmantan.com) costs from Rs24,000 (Dh1,235) per night, including taxes, consultations, meals and a treatment package.
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