Every school day I travel to school a distance of 120 ks on the Al Ain-Dubai Road. Since I have been in the UAE the road has been under construction as they build a new 4 lane each way, motor way to connect Al Ain with Dubai, and the excellent roading they have over the border into the Emirate of Dubai. Initially we wove in and out of cones, backwards and forwards across to the other side of the road into a single lane road, making the journey slow, tiring and like a slalom course. Since September this year the authorities have opened the new sections of this road to the point now where it is all but complete, bar one area. The speed limit has been lifted as each section has been completed from 60k to 80k and now 100k. However with a few random speed cameras and a few hawk speed guns stationed on the way, the traffic still hurtles along at a cracking speed. Of course along with the speed comes some out of control SUV's and road accidents. On Friday in our paper they announced the raising of the speed limit to 120 k, the standard road speed in the UAE. In the same article was the mention that this piece of road, the Al Ain - Dubai highway, is one of the most dangerous motorways in the country. With that in mind they increase the speed limit and set the speed cameras to an additional 20 kpm tolerance. In theory you can travel at 140 with out getting flashed. The reality, you can travel an awful lot faster and just slow down for the stationary speed cameras. Watch the brake lights, its a tell tale sign of a camera. This defies logic, on one of the deadliest pieces of road they raise the speed limit from a realistic to an unrealistic speed and encourage people to go even faster!
Now having said all of the above I do have to admit the road is very nice to travel on, as are the major roadways in the UAE. The signage is good, the exits clearly marked with good notification, each side of the road seperated by a sizable medium strip, excellent lighting and all tastefully planted with date palms. Driving is easy.
1 comment:
You would agree that neither Helen nor you wouldn't really notice driving at 140kph.
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