UAE residents call for removal of bins near junctions

ABU DHABI // Authorities need to do more to keep the areas around junctions free from obstructions, say motorists and safety experts.

They say rubbish bins left at the corners of streets are dangerous as they create blind spots by obscuring drivers’ views of oncoming traffic.

Alex Thomas, 46, an electrical engineer who lives in Al Zahiyah (formerly known as the Tourist Club Area) said he is unable to take a proper look of the traffic because the bins are on the way.

“Drivers tend to drive fast on this one-way street,” he said. “They might not see children playing or residents crossing the street.”

The wheelie bins, in front of the Al Khaja Medical Centre building, occupy one of the three Mawaqif parallel parking spots.

Mr Thomas, a resident of the area for the past 10 years, hoped authorities could look into the traffic safety hazard caused by the bins.

Another resident Iftekhar Ahmed, agreed, saying that the bins not only create a blind spot for motorists, but can hit legally-parked cars due to high winds.

“The presence of these bins on the street poses a serious traffic safety problem,” said the 59-year-old Bangladeshi-Canadian electrical engineer. “Drivers cannot safely turn right because of these bins. People drive at 30 kph and can hit pedestrians who suddenly cross the street.”

The bins should be kept in the designated area, away from traffic and parking spots, Mr Ahmed said.

“When there are high winds that could cause the bins to blow over and damage cars parked in the area,” he said.

VP Naushad, 54, an Abu Dhabi resident for 25 years, said rubbish bins were blocking the view of drivers in his neighbourhood, behind the Al Raha Hospital and Baby City buildings off Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Street.

“This is a big problem for those who are coming from the main road and entering interior streets as they are unable to see the oncoming traffic,” he said. “Waste bins should not be permitted to be located where they would obstruct the use of the roadway. There should be clear access to lane ways, while rights of way must be maintained at all times.”

Rubbish bins should be kept away from intersections, crossings, and any point where they block the view of traffic participants, said Thomas Edelmann, founder of Road Safety UAE.

“Motorists must be considerate since those bins typically have wheels, which make them unstable and they might roll onto the roads and on the driveway,” he said. “In case motorists end up behind this garbage trucks emptying the bins, they have to be patient and not reckless in overtaking them or obstructing oncoming traffic.”

A spokesman for the Centre of Waste Management (Tadweer), said: “Tadweer is coordinating with the concerned parties in order to define specific locations to place bins in a manner that ensures no disruption of daily activities.”