Give cyclists an incentive to park their cars

Readers discuss cycle-safety in the UAE. Other topics: low-income accommodation and fog flight delays.

Readers discuss ways to improve cycle safety and participation in the UAE. Photo: Ravindranath K / The National

With regard to your article, I'm cautiously optimistic about the UAE becoming bike-friendly (January 4) I think many people forget that for a significant percentage of the population, cycling is their only form of transport other than walking.

On the industrial estate where I work, I’d estimate that half of the total workforce cycles the two or three kilometres from their homes.

That leads to the question of how to motivate people who do have cars to leave them at home and cycle when traffic isn’t that bad and fuel is cheap.

When I lived in London, cycling was the fastest way to get to work because of the heavy traffic. It was significantly cheaper too.

If traffic conditions in the UAE were more congested, then cycling would be safer because the average speed of cars would be a lot slower. Part of the problem here is the sheer speed of the vehicles.

One also has to take into account the driving culture here. It’s difficult to predict what drivers are going to do because everyone is from a different culture and therefore has different expectations of other road users.

In addition, I think that good, well-designed cycling infrastructure would make a big difference to getting some of the folks cycling.

Ian Ganderton, Dubai

It was nice to see a map of cycle routes ready for #cycletoworkUAE next week, but I took Khaleej Al Arabi Road to Musaffah a week ago and the safe lane only goes up to Adnec (Recommended cycling routes in Abu Dhabi, January 5).

There was no pathway or any lane safe enough to ride on. I rode on grass and along the trees and while it was fun, it wasn’t an area suitable for a road bike.

Leonard Paracha, Abu Dhabi

Cycling is good on Abu Dhabi’s Corniche but it is very difficult to reach it unless you live very close by.

I consider Mina Road, for example, to be too dangerous to cross. We need more bridges or walking paths.

Valentina Gherardi, Abu Dhabi

All workers need somewhere to live

With regard to your story, Unhappy new year as 100 are evicted in Abu Dhabi (January 5), it seems that every residential tower built in the last decade was a high-end luxury building.

Where should the middle- and low-income people go? These are the people who serve you at the restaurant, who do your laundry, who tailor your clothes and who live on salaries that may be as low as Dh600 a month.

They have few options. Middle and low-income people, along with small and medium-sized businesses, are very important to the UAE’s economy. I hope the authorities take steps soon to have a minimum quota on the market for low and middle-income residential units.

Samer Al Ogidi, Abu Dhabi

I believe that there should be developments that are rent controlled and affordable for low-income workers.

People are being priced out of the UAE. This is a situation that requires drastic action.

Emma Brain, Dubai

This is a very unfortunate event for those who can’t afford to find a decent, low-priced flat.

I hope the government can find a solution to the problem.

Ledinia Cristobal, Abu Dhabi

Solutions are needed for fog

In relation to your story, Fog procedures must be changed at Abu Dhabi airport, pilots say (January 4), I understand that sometimes fog prevents planes from taking off.

However, to keep passengers on the plane for up to 12 hours is a disgrace. They weren’t even given much information about the situation, which only adds to the frustration.

This is all over the news in Europe right now, damaging the reputation of Etihad and even Abu Dhabi.

I hope some better solutions are found, especially when it comes to professional customer care in such situations.

Nelly Ebner, Abu Dhabi

One of my colleagues travelling to Abu Dhabi was diverted to Dubai because of fog.

The passengers were refused permission to exit the aircraft and remained on board for seven hours – far longer than it would have taken to catch a taxi to Abu Dhabi at that time of night.

Pat Lancaster, UK

I was kept on an aircraft from 1:45am until 12:25pm before taking an eight-hour flight to Dublin.

I landed at 4:25pm Dublin time, which meant I missed my boat and had to pay for an extra flight.

Etihad have failed to reply to my repeated attempts to contact them to request compensation.

Rob Holmes, Abu Dhabi