Dubai: The authorities concerned in the UAE should immediately ban the use of minibuses to transport passengers before more lives are lost involving these vehicles.
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The death of eight people in a minibus crash on Monday morning on Mohammed Bin Zayed Road in Dubai has once again raised questions on why these vehicles are still allowed to carry passengers.
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It is time that the police and the transport authorities across the UAE take a unanimous decision to end this road menace.
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The box like 14-seater minibus is not a transport vehicle. Rather, it is designed to transport cargo for short distances.
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But, in the UAE, these minibuses, which are actually death traps, are still being widely used to transport passengers especially blue-collar workers, low-income staff of companies, restaurants and supermarkets.
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The Federal Traffic Council had announced last year it plans to phase out minibuses by 2023 all over the UAE.
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It announced that schools would not be allowed to use minibuses to transport students by September 2021. A complete ban on all passenger minibuses will start as of January 2023.
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Authorities should review their decision and should ban the use of minibuses for passengers with immediate effect.
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The 14-seaters vans were banned to transport school children in 2013. But these are still being used in some other emirates.
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There should be an immediate ban on using minibuses to ferry passengers before more lives are lost. Minibuses are the most dangerous vehicles to transport passengers on the UAE roads.
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Stringent checks are also required to regulate movement of the minibuses as most accident happened when these vehicles are packed and over-loaded with passengers, and speeding on roads.
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Also, minibuses should be fitted with an automatic speed control system with a maximum speed of 80kmph.
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