Taxi corporation strives to achieve road safety aims

The Dubai Taxi Corporation says it has several initiatives in place to ensure high safety standards. Other topics: blood diamonds, the death penalty and penguins.

The Dubai Taxi Corporation says it has many initiatives to encourage safe driving. Pawan Singh / The National

I refer to the letter Phone headsets for cabbies won't make roads safer (September 15).

The Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC) works very hard to ensure its drivers obey traffic safety rules, through a variety of initiatives.

The DTC fines drivers Dh200 for a first offence if they break a traffic rule, with a further Dh200 fine and one week of training for a repeat offence, and a Dh800 fine for a third offence.

The corporation’s Salamatak team focuses on studies and programmes that reduce taxi accidents, and the DTC works closely with Dubai Police to provide workshops and seminars for drivers on various topics relating to traffic safety.

The drivers’ traffic safety award and drivers’ performances appraisal system honour drivers with financial awards for obtaining good driving records for every 100,000 kilometres they spend on the road.

The DTC also has a merit and demerit scheme, monthly “excellent driver” awards and bonuses for drivers with long service.

These initiatives have been welcomed by the drivers, as they feel they are being rewarded for their good work and loyalty. They have also assisted the DTC in meeting service performance targets, reducing customer complaints and reducing accidents.

The DTC has its own Drivers’ Training and Qualification Institute that is certified by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSpa).

Ahmed Mohammed Al Hammadi, acting CEO, DTC, Dubai

Taking some shine off diamond trade

I refer to Diamonds are a Chinese bride's best friend – with an annual bill of Dh83bn (September 18).

Consumers in the West are losing their affinity for diamonds. A recent article on the Huffington Post website generated more than 800 comments, the overwhelming majority of which were scathingly critical of the inflated status that diamonds have obtained in society.

A new generation of marketing-savvy, educated young people are not as easily swayed by the sort of advertising slogans that led their parents to absorb the notions that “diamonds are forever” and “a girl’s best friend”.

Images of warfare and bloodshed, terrorised and traumatised children and adults in Africa are, to an increasing extent, replacing the soft-focus image that the diamond industry has peddled for decades.

With the demise of the diamond brand image in the West, the industry has looked to boost diamond sales in India and China, where awareness about blood diamonds is not yet as high.

Name withheld by request

Death sentences will deter others

I am writing in reference to Gang rape verdict exposes the uneven nature of Indian justice (September 17).

The death penalty was the perfect sentence for the Delhi rapists, and I think it is unacceptable that they have been afforded the privilege of being allowed to appeal.

If capital punishment is made standard in all rape cases, it will serve as a deterrent for all other potential rapists.

Moiz SA, Sharjah

Penguins placed at the wrong pole

I am writing about the headline Ski Dubai funds Arctic trip to study penguins (September 18).

This is a factual error, as there are no wild penguins in the Arctic. Penguins only live in the Southern Hemisphere.

The story mentions South Georgia, which is near Antarctica.

Reg Pincock, UK

Many computer games are explicit

Computer says no for UAE fans of new game (September 18) says that Grand Theft Auto 5 is unlikely to be approved for sale in the UAE.

There are several other games with explicit content. Why aren’t they banned?

Waqas Amir, Dubai

sRail network will be very welcome

I refer to Rail the right track for future transport (September 15).

I moved to Abu Dhabi from London two years ago, and I can’t wait for there to be a rail network here.

Zahid Khokhar, Abu Dhabi