Protect our heritage for the future

Readers discuss Abu Dhabi's heritage buildings. Other topics: flight safety, accidents, restaurants

Readers call for protecting Abu Dhabi’s architectural heritage. Christopher Pike / The National

Regarding Brett Debritz's opinion article, In the city of the future, what's worth protecting? (November 2), we should keep historically important buildings, but clean them and even renovate them if necessary. We need to paint and fix the Abu Dhabi bus station, for instance. The building is a great monument but its shabby condition doesn't represent how awesome Abu Dhabi is.

Suzanne Lamb, Abu Dhabi

There are many ways to beautify a city without spoiling its identity. The bus station needs a new coat of paint. Just look at Japan. It has so many old stations, but they are all in impeccable condition and they are all functional.

Jean Francoise Ng Lewis, Abu Dhabi

Sadly there is almost nothing left of old Abu Dhabi. Just about everything has been demolished to make way for glitzy glass and chrome. Try to protect and preserve as much as possible – for history, for culture, for the nation.

Dave Pryce, Dubai

Concern over flight safety

The crash of the jet in the Sinai has added to the growing anxiety among flyers (Russian airliner crash in Egypt: possible scenarios, November 1).

Whether it’s a terrorist attack or technical faults that brought down the airline is immaterial. The fact of the matter is that too many civilian aircraft have crashed within a short period.

I often hear the argument that the safest way to travel is to fly and that these accidents or tragedies are a few among millions of flights that crowd our skies. But that is hardly any consolation. We are living in dangerous and uncertain times. With war raging in so many parts of the world and terrorism spreading like wildfire, ordinary people have never been so vulnerable.

It may be too early to draw any conclusion over the Russian jet crash, but the reason has to be either of the two – terrorism or mechanical problems. I think flight safety is diminishing greatly.

Remi Rethnil, Sri Lanka

Many ways to curb accidents

Your editorial Unusual ways to make roads safer (October 30) underlined a relevant point that to reduce road fatalities, we need to look beyond conventional measures.

You have mentioned the Creative Catalyst Artist in Residence Programme in Los Angeles that will work with the Department of Transport on the ambitious Vision Zero initiative, which has the goal of eliminating all traffic fatalities by 2025. It would have been ideal if you could give an outline of that initiative.

That said, there are many cities in the West that have introduced creative ideas to reduce traffic congestion and accidents. Copenhagen’s traffic management system is one of the best examples. Some of those ideas could be imported here. Meanwhile, one of the strangest phenomena I have noticed in Abu Dhabi is that motorists slow down while entering the airport zone where the speed limit is 30 kph.

The cameras flash if you cross that limit. Perhaps other cameras can be set in a similar fashion. Accidents would be fewer if drivers were compelled to follow the rules.

Cyrus M, Abu Dhabi

A food lover’s paradise

In reference to the article Stir up your appetite: 11 new restaurants to try in the UAE (November 3), we went to Bread Street Kitchen recently. The food and service are great. It's highly recommended.

Matthew Rice, UK

I was hoping for more Abu Dhabi restaurants. There is only one mentioned in the capital – the Indian restaurant at Ritz-Carlton. It’s the last one on the list.

Victoria Edwards, Abu Dhabi