DUBAI // A former Dubai resident who refused to cycle to work in the UAE because of concerns over road safety, rides her bike to work every day in London, saving money and keeping fit in the process.
Although Klara Zakis, 28, only had to commute a short distance between her home in Dubai Marina and her office in Media City, it was never an option that appealed. “Even that short commute was too dangerous to do on a bike,” she said.
“Dubai drivers don’t know how to drive around other cars, never mind a bike. The roads are too big for bikes – you can’t cycle down Sheikh Zayed Road, for example.”
Even areas such as Downtown Dubai are too congested and the lack of cycling paths put many people off, including Ms Zakis, who is originally from Raunds in Northamptonshire.
But since moving to the British capital after spending 2008 to 2012 in Dubai, she commutes to work on a regular basis.
“Typically, being London, money was often a little short, so cycling seemed like the most cost-effective way to travel,” she said.
“I also found that, by the time I finished work and went to the gym and then home, it was very late.
“Now I combine my commute with my exercise. I can cycle the route quicker than the Tube.”
Ms Zakis, who works in public relations and lives in North London, has a route that takes her to her office in Notting Hill.
“Each morning I travel through Islington, past King’s Cross and Euston, into central London, past Oxford Street into Marylebone, past Marble Arch, up Bayswater Road past Hyde Park and into Notting Hill,” she said.
Cyclists are given incentives to travel to work on their bikes as part of the UK-wide cycle-to-work scheme.
Under the initiative people can buy a bike tax-free through their employer and pay it off in monthly instalments.
It is something that Ms Zakis has taken advantage of and feels could be introduced in Dubai.
Yet cycling in London is not without its challenges, particularly in relation to pedestrians.
“Pedestrians will cross the road without looking, they listen for vehicles rather than look for them and you can rarely hear a bike,” she said. They also run out in front of cyclists because they believe we can stop a lot quicker than cars and aren’t going as fast.”
Fear of theft is also a concern and she avoids leaving her bike outside shops, in case it gets stolen.
Despite this she feels safe during her commute, although she takes a slightly longer route to take advantage of cycle lanes.
nhanif@thenational.ae