A driver’s view of public transportation



While the GCC at large often seems to base its infrastructural development on that of the UAE – take Doha metro, for example – I often wonder where the UAE turns for inspiration.

I always thought Dubai must have based its roads on those of Los Angeles, a city where you have to drive to get anywhere. Both cities are spread out and both have high-rises constantly coming up faster than infrastructure can accommodate. Compounding this, they both have hot summers. A perfect storm of traffic.

Trying to navigate Jumeriah Lakes Towers or Dubai Marina their busiest, let alone Sheikh Zayed Road on a Thursday evening, is an upsetting ordeal. I really like The Walk, but I hardly ever go for this very reason.

The result of this is an unfriendly culture of driving, with everybody either so wound up by traffic or paranoid of being held up that they disregard social conscience. But that’s another story.

For all its efforts, I still find Dubai to be very much a driver’s city. Of course, it invests huge amounts of money in public transportation; the metro, the tram, new buses, etc. The metro did initially seem to alleviate traffic, but the nearest stop to my house is a 20-minute walk, which would be fine in Europe, but not when its 50 degrees outside. Like buses, though, it is cheap.

I rememeber the 2008 financial crisis was a relief in one respect – the exodus of foreign workers meant much less traffic. I rarely struggled to book or hail a taxi. However, as Dubai returned to prosperity, inevitably people returned. Traffic is, once again, severe.

I personally don’t have much of a choice in the matter – I feel that I have to drive. I live in Dubai and work in Abu Dhabi. I suppose I could take the bus, but this would take me a very long time and I couldn’t ever perfectly time my journey. Moreover, it’s terrifying enough driving here with all the insane driving that goes on – I wouldn’t have the mettle to cycle amongst cars without a box of aluminium surrounding me.

But, to be fair, even if I did have more of a choice, I think I would still choose driving. Perhaps I haven’t engaged enough with the local public transportation system to make an objective statement, but I don’t feel it would work for me. Despite how unpleasant it is to drive to work, I like the convenience of knowing well enough how long it’s going to take me to get somewhere, and being able to go whenever I want. Plus, I enjoy the privacy. And being able to blast out some Floyd – with the volume all the way up to 11.

In the UK, I wouldn’t even consider having a car. For me, it wouldn’t be worth the cost. The public transport systems tend to be excellent. Sheffield has an great tram with its own lane. Not only is it a really convenient form of public transport but, because of its reliability, it alleviates road traffic too. In Oxford, I was rarely more than a five-minute walk away from a bus stop.

The population is going to keep rising, especially in the build up to Expo 2020 and it is crucial to ensure that the infrastructure surrounding new high-rises is capable of large influxes of traffic. The bus-lane system is a really good one. Or better yet, in the Netherlands, public transportation actually runs into a building at the Hague. Being dropped off in the office? Now, that I dig.

Follow Hareth on twitter @harethb

PAKISTAN SQUAD

Abid Ali, Fakhar Zaman, Imam-ul-Haq, Shan Masood, Azhar Ali (test captain), Babar Azam (T20 captain), Asad Shafiq, Fawad Alam, Haider Ali, Iftikhar Ahmad, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik, Mohammad Rizwan (wicketkeeper), Sarfaraz Ahmed (wicketkeeper), Faheem Ashraf, Haris Rauf, Imran Khan, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Shaheen Afridi, Sohail Khan, Usman Shinwari, Wahab Riaz, Imad Wasim, Kashif Bhatti, Shadab Khan and Yasir Shah. 

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Match info

Newcastle United 1
Joselu (11')

Tottenham Hotspur 2
Vertonghen (8'), Alli (18')

The specs

Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors

Power: 480kW

Torque: 850Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)

On sale: Now

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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
The%20specs
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Moon Music

Artist: Coldplay

Label: Parlophone/Atlantic

Number of tracks: 10

Rating: 3/5

ADCC AFC Women’s Champions League Group A fixtures

October 3: v Wuhan Jiangda Women’s FC
October 6: v Hyundai Steel Red Angels Women’s FC
October 9: v Sabah FA

Tree of Hell

Starring: Raed Zeno, Hadi Awada, Dr Mohammad Abdalla

Director: Raed Zeno

Rating: 4/5

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Is it worth it? We put cheesecake frap to the test.

The verdict from the nutritionists is damning. But does a cheesecake frappuccino taste good enough to merit the indulgence?

My advice is to only go there if you have unusually sweet tooth. I like my puddings, but this was a bit much even for me. The first hit is a winner, but it's downhill, slowly, from there. Each sip is a little less satisfying than the last, and maybe it was just all that sugar, but it isn't long before the rush is replaced by a creeping remorse. And half of the thing is still left.

The caramel version is far superior to the blueberry, too. If someone put a full caramel cheesecake through a liquidiser and scooped out the contents, it would probably taste something like this. Blueberry, on the other hand, has more of an artificial taste. It's like someone has tried to invent this drink in a lab, and while early results were promising, they're still in the testing phase. It isn't terrible, but something isn't quite right either.

So if you want an experience, go for a small, and opt for the caramel. But if you want a cheesecake, it's probably more satisfying, and not quite as unhealthy, to just order the real thing.

 

 

JERSEY INFO

Red Jersey
General Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the leader of the General Classification by time.
Green Jersey
Points Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the fastest sprinter, who has obtained the best positions in each stage and intermediate sprints.
White Jersey
Young Rider Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the best young rider born after January 1, 1995 in the overall classification by time (U25).
Black Jersey
Intermediate Sprint Classification: worn daily, starting from Stage 2, by the rider who has gained the most Intermediate Sprint Points.

EA Sports FC 25
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?

1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull

2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight

3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge

4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own

5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed

THE BIO

Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.

Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.

Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.

Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.

 

 

How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

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The specs

Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now

The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now

Seemar’s top six for the Dubai World Cup Carnival:

1. Reynaldothewizard
2. North America
3. Raven’s Corner
4. Hawkesbury
5. New Maharajah
6. Secret Ambition

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