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Video: Things that'll get you fined on Dubai Metro

Dubai - Did you know that drinking water is forbidden on the train and on the platform?

Dubai Metro has been plying for more than seven years. It has served more than 830 million riders since its inception in September 2009.
By the law of averages, this figure translates to 118,571,429 riders every year; 9,880,952 every month, 329,365 every day, 13,723 every hour, 229 every minute and 3.8 riders every second.

Despite being the favourite mode of public transport of many UAE residents, a lot of us are unaware of some of the violations that attract fines ranging from Dh100 to Dh2,000.

We list some of those fines that we bet you didn't know about:

1. Drinking (even water) and eating (or chewing gum): Did you know that drinking water is forbidden on the train and the platform?

Mohammed Al Mudharreb, Director of Rail Operations, RTA Dubai said, "There are some fines that people are not aware of and consider them to be odd but they are in place for a reason. For instance, drinking water on the platform and onboard the train, or chewing gum. We do it in order to maintain the cleanliness of the facility."

"If you look at other systems elsewhere in the world where eating and drinking are allowed, you won't find the metro station to be as clean as Dubai's," he added.

Dh100 is the fine for eating and drinking at areas where it's prohibited.

2. Sleeping is prohibited onboard the Metro and at passenger shelters. It attracts a fine of Dh100.

3. Placing your feet on the seats will also set you back by Dh100.

4. You're not allowed to sit or stand on the cabin connectors or the luggage area. Dh100 is the fine for using non-passenger areas.

5. The most common fines are for entering the Gold Card cabin and for men entering or sitting in the women and children's cabin. Both the acts attract a fine of Dh100.
Watch:


Public etiquette

So you thought it's just fines you should watch out for? Raise your hand if you don't rush to board a train as soon as it arrives and give way to other fellow passengers to exit the train first. RTA has made clear markings showing how to embark and disembark. But how many of us actually follow that?

"People come from different cultures and that defines how they deal with others and how they deal with entrances and exits. In Dubai we serve residents from all kinds of backgrounds and walks of life. We have put clear markings and stickers on the floor to indicate where to stand if you would like to access the train and where to stand to allow people to exit the train," added Mudharreb.

Other etiquette include offering your seat to the needy and not playing loud music and doing things that would cause inconvenience to other passengers.

In addition, those of you who have baby trolleys should ensure that it has a provision to lock the wheels.
"We have ensured that there is a space allocated for baby trolleys in the women and children's cabin. It's encouraged that it should be securely locked, so that whenever the Metro moves it doesn't cause any disturbance to the child, parent or to other passengers."

Fine appeal process

The number of offenders compared to the number of riders is less than 0.5% and it has reduced over the last few years, said Mudharreb. In January 2017 alone 1,499 fines were issued. 30 per cent of these were for sitting and accessing areas reserved for specific categories, and 28 per cent were for eating and drinking in places where it's not permitted.

Yes, RTA Dubai does issue fines however, there's a fine appeal process that everyone has access to, in case they feel they have been unfairly fined.

"People who object on any fine that has been issued to them have a chance to contest it. If they can prove their claim, their fine will be waived off. We have had many cases where the justification was found valid and the fine was removed," said Mudharreb.

When asked about the Dubai Metro's future initiatives, Mudharreb said efforts are being made to increase the capacity of the Metro in order to serve the passengers better.
nilanjana@khaleejtimes.com