Shanti Rabin
Dubai - Shanti Rabin bags 50-gramme gold coin for travelling in the Metro.
Published: Sun 1 Nov 2015, 11:00 PM
Updated: Tue 3 Nov 2015, 11:16 AM
For Dubai resident Shanti Rabin, a housemaid, bagging a 50-gramme gold coin for travelling in the Metro is "like a blessing from God".
"I got this for travelling in the Metro ... This is truly a blessing. I am very excited and happy about this victory," she said.
The 54-year-old has been working as a caretaker for an Arab family in Dubai for the past 22 years. "I have three children who I single-handedly raised from the income I made from my work in the house ... Today, they all have jobs here in Dubai," said Rabin.
After finishing work at her sponsor's house in Hor Al Anz, Rabin often travels to different places in the city to meet her friends. She would use the Dubai Metro, buses and other modes of public transportation to reach her destination. The mother of three, who hails from the south Indian city of Tanjaavur, has also adopted a grandchild for one of her daughters.
"In the process of travelling in and around the city, I collected several points on my Nol card," said Rabin. "I am very grateful to my sponsors who gave me the freedom to travel across the city once I inished my work ... I can proudly say that I know the Dubai Metro inside out."
Rabin, along with 50 other regular users of public transportation, were awarded prizes, including cash, gold coins, smart watches, headphones, laptops and other exciting prizes on Sunday.
As part of the Public Transportation Day celebrations, the Roads and Transportation Authority (RTA) of Dubai began a campaign two weeks back, enticing residents to use public transportation more frequently.
Moaza Saeed Al Marri, director - marketing and corporate communications at the RTA, said: "This year's campaign was built around a points system. For every trip that a registered Nol card user made, they were awarded 50 points."
Ten first prize winners with over 1,000 points won 50-gramme gold coins; 10 second prize winners with 750 points got a laptop; and the third prize winners with 500 points were given smart watches.
Winners at the award ceremony said they were ecstatic about the win and this would definitely encourage them to use public transportation more regularly.
Uzbekistan national and winner of 50 grammes of gold, Anwar Zakirov, said: "Even though I drive a car, I use the Metro three to four times a week. It is a convenient and hassle-free mode of transport. I usually use it to travel from the Mall of the Emirates (Al Barsha) to Ibn Battuta, Deira, Bur Dubai, etc."
Indian national and winner of a Gold Nol card, Saeed Khan, said: "I live in Al Qiyadah and use the Metro to travel to Business Bay. I recharge the Nol card for Dh230 every month. It is a very comfortable mode of transport."
Indian national and winner of a MacBook, Syed Madni, said: "I prefer the Dubai Metro over any other mode of transportation. I've been using it every day since its inception in 2009. I admire the Metro for the quality of service, cleanliness and timely service."
Richelle Macaballug, a Filipino who won a pair of headphones from Beats, said: "I've been using the Metro for two years and I think it is an excellent mode of transportation. It is convenient and fast."
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com
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