Dubai: A woman was fined Dh200 thrice in 60 minutes for driving on the hard shoulder in order to meet a friend for dinner, said Dubai Police.
Her car was also impounded for three months, which cost her Dh3,000 for each month.
The woman asked the police to cancel the fines which she said she could not pay all at once. “I was in a hurry and wanted to keep the date with my female friend who was waiting for me in a restaurant, please cancel my tickets,” the woman pleaded with the police.
Major-General Mohammad Saif Al Zafein, Head of the Federal Traffic Council and Assistant to the Dubai Police Chief for Operations Affairs, said everyday, dozens of motorists visit the traffic department and request the police to reduce or cancel traffic fines. On most occasions, they offer weak excuses, he said.
In the lady’s case, the total amount of fines was Dh9,600.
“She said she had to drive on the hard shoulder of the road to catch up with her friend who was waiting for her in a restaurant. This is a weak excuse to avoid paying a traffic fine,” Maj-Gen Al Zafein said.
He said that many people approach the department with the hope that they could get the traffic fine tickets cancelled by giving any lame excuse, but he stressed that nobody is above the law in Dubai.
“Everyone should respect the traffic law. Some drivers fabricate stories but then they apologise when we show them evidence like pictures or videos of them committing the offence.”
In one case, a man contested his son’s ticket claiming that his son was in Abu Dhabi when the police issued the ticket for racing and reckless driving.
The father was shocked when officers showed him pictures and videos of his son racing on the road. He then apologised to the police and said he did not even imagine his son would commit such traffic violations.
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