Are Dubai's bus drivers unruly and arrogant?

Dubai - If you have a complaint, it will be probed till you're satisfied, says RTA

Are you among the many Dubai residents who feel bus drivers have poor road etiquettes? If you have been at the receiving end of rude behaviour from drivers, you can file a complaint with the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). The complaint will be investigated till the passenger accepts that the problem has been resolved, a top official has said.
Mohammed Abdullah Al Ali, Director of Buses at the RTA, said passenger complaints are taken very seriously. Bus drivers are subject to laws and strict rules, he said.
Passengers can file complaints via the RTA helpline 800-909 or post a complaint on the authority's Facebook or Twitter accounts.
"All drivers are provided with a ... handbook after they complete their service training as a way to remind them of their commitment to deliver world class public transport service. Drivers also undergo refresher training as part of their annual training plans," Ali Ali said in an e-mail statement to Khaleej Times.
After receiving a spate of complaints from bus users, Khaleej Times asked residents if Dubai bus drivers had poor road etiquettes. Over 50 per cent of the respondents to the poll said the drivers are rude. Some of the common complaints from residents were about drivers assuming that they have right of way all the time, driving too fast, cutting lanes suddenly, and in some cases, shouting abuses at passengers. However, some commuters also stated that bus drivers are very accommodating and take good care of the needs of the passengers.
Dubai resident, Melvin Balita, a Filipino, is a regular public transport user. "I've never had problems with any of the service providers. However, recently I've noticed that bus drivers have been behaving obnoxiously."
Balita said: "Recently, I had a very bad fight with a bus driver who was driving the shuttle bus from the JLT Metro station to Tecom. Despite signalling him to stop, the driver continued to drive ahead, going almost 300 to 400 metres away from my stop. I asked him why he hadn't stopped ... He just ignored me and when I asked him again in a slightly louder voice, he started shouting at me."
He even dared Balita to file a complaint.
Sharjah resident Suhail Ashraf, who works at a real estate company, claimed a bus driver shouted at him and made inappropriate gestures with his hand.
Ashraf said the driver took a sudden left and cut him off. "My car's right side-view mirror has a big scratch because of that ... Do the bus drivers always have the right of way because buses are government vehicles?"
Dubai resident Selena Rozelle, a Sri Lankan, said: "Aren't bus drivers supposed to only drive at a maximum speed of 80km/h. I've seen some drivers whiz past us at over 100km/h, especially on the Emirates Road ... It is dangerous."
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai