DUBAI // Residents and companies rallied to help those affected by the fire at the Address Downtown Dubai.
Hours after the fire broke out on Thursday night, an aid campaign began on Twitter. Under the hashtag #NeedAnAddress, those made homeless by the fire were offered places to stay, meals and showers.
“Two spare rooms and attached bathrooms, a selection of tea, a cuddly cat and extra mattresses for those who #NeedAnAddress,” a Twitter user wrote.
Another said: “We have sofas, sleeping bags and an endless supply of love. Plus Nutella.”
Companies also offered to help. Auris Hotels said on Twitter that it had 30 rooms available at its Tecom property, while car hire company Uber said it was offering free rides to anyone in the area.
“Please ignore the surge notification. Due to the current situation downtown, all Uber rides from the Address Downtown vicinity are free. All you need to do is request a ride, and we’ll take care of the rest. Get home safe,” Uber said.
After the New Year’s Eve festivities, however, revellers complained that Uber had increased the price of car trips by as much as eightfold.
Although people are warned about potential price increases before they agree to hire a driver, some people said the price was still a surprise, with one passenger paying Dh1,000 for a ride.
“It usually costs me around Dh100 to get back home but last night’s receipt was shocking,” said a passenger who was travelling from Atlantis The Palm to his home in Al Barari.
When booking a ride through Uber, customers are given due notice about price increases.
A notification on the Uber app sounds an alert whenever a price surge is in effect and people have to accept that before requesting a ride.
nalremeithi@thenational.ae