Dubai

Over the years, Gulf News readers have raised various issues through the newspaper’s Community Reports platform. From overflowing garbage, lack of pedestrian crossings to graffiti on community walls, people have kept their eyes and ears open to problems within their areas. They have been quick to raise awareness, while aiming to bring about a positive change.

“Never believe that a few caring people can’t change the world,” Margaret Mead, an American cultural anthropologist, writes in her book ‘The World Ahead: An Anthropologist Anticipates the Future’. And that was the case with community reports, too, as people tried to make a difference.

In their journey, government organisations in the UAE stepped in to help. Three organisations, Sharjah City Municipality, Bee’ah and the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), stood out in this regard and took quick action any time a reader’s concerns were raised with them. Today, we highlight six community reports from the more than hundreds published in 2016 that were successful in bringing change and a positive reaction from the concerned authorities.

 

Report: ‘Public parking lots need to be clearly marked to prevent confusion’

Published on January 14, 2016

For Vismaya Sanilkumar, a student based in Sharjah, the issue was in the form of a parking fine that his mother had received despite having a parking card. Through his report, ‘Public parking lots need to be clearly marked to prevent confusion’ published on January 14, he raised concerns over how in the Al Musallah area of Sharjah, his mother was fined for having parked in “a no-parking area, or an area marked with yellow lines”. However, the parking spot wasn’t clearly marked and was thus causing confusion.

The issue was raised with the Sharjah Municipality and they promptly responded and confirmed that the spot had been repainted. “Sharjah City Municipality makes every possible effort to maintain the good condition of the parking lots all over Sharjah city, and ensure they are well paved and clearly marked all the time,” they wrote at the time.

Sanilkumar confirmed that prompt action was taken by the municipal authority and he appreciated their concern for the residents of the Emirate. “I am happy that confusion could be avoided in the future,” he said.

 

Report: ‘Consternation over garbage skips lined up outside building’

Published on January 18, 2016

Amanda Sanchis, an office manager based in Sharjah, was unhappy with how the closest landmark to her home was a garbage bin. In her report ‘Consternation over garbage skips lined up outside building’, published on January 18, she urged the authorities to clear the pile of garbage outside her residential building in the Al Qasimia area of Sharjah as she had to “endure this unwelcome sight every day as I walk in and out of my building”.

The reader’s complaint was raised with the management of Sharjah Municipality. They confirmed that the waste containers belonged to the building owner and not the government organisation. Despite that, they “obliged the [building’s] security guards to move the containers inside the building and instructed them to bring the containers outside the building only in the evening, just for the time required to discharge the waste”. If the building management failed to do so, the municipality would “issue them a notice of violation and confiscate such containers”.

Following this, the management quickly obliged, and the dumpsters were moved.

 

Report: ‘Urgent need for a pedestrian crossing to avoid accidents’

Published on February 4, 2016

Rakhy Velapilli Prasad, a pupil based in Dubai, raised her concerns over an issue that has been bothering residents of her area for a few years. Amman Street, in the Al Nahda area of Dubai, has been a point of discussion due to a lack of pedestrian crossings or bridges. In February, through her report, ‘Urgent need for a pedestrian crossing to avoid accidents’ published in February, Prasad raised the same issue and highlighted the urgent need of a designated crossing as people were jaywalking to get to a bus stop across the street, while vehicles sped past.

When the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) was contacted at the time, they confirmed that “there is a pedestrian bridge currently under construction on Amman Street close to the location mentioned in the reader’s complaint. Construction of the pedestrian bridge is planned to be completed by April 2016.”

As promised, the bridge was completed and opened to public in the month of April.

 

Report: ‘Inculcating an attitude of cleanliness and responsibility’

Published on May 19, 2016

In her report ‘Inculcating an attitude of cleanliness and responsibility’, published on May 19, Nityashri Sankaran, a pupil based in Sharjah, highlighted how many recycling bins placed by Bee’ah, Sharjah’s environment and waste management company, were overflowing with a variety of unsegregated trash and sometimes stale food, too. She suggested that the authorities organise awareness campaigns for residents of the emirate “to inculcate the attitude of cleanliness and responsibility”.

Her suggestions were welcomed by the company, who agreed that “waste disposal isn’t just a duty” for their operational services and that they “see the challenge in terms of promoting ‘prevention’ as the cure”.

They stated: “Bee’ah has established school programmes that have already reached out to more than 200,000 students in the emirate.”

They also confirmed that the regular bins are emptied every day “in the morning, including twice on Thursdays and Fridays”, whereas the recycling bins are emptied “twice daily, at 10am and 11pm”.

Today, the reader confirmed that the area is much cleaner and Bee’ah has “definitely increased the frequency” of the trash collection.

 

Report: ‘Overflowing garbage raises hygiene concern among residents’

Published on August 31, 2016

Mohammad Gulam, a designer based in Sharjah, is bothered by people’s careless attitude when it comes to disposing trash. In the Al Nasseriya Area, he has come across piles of rubbish for almost two years. The cause — the garbage bins are misused by the residents of the community. There were only two bins placed nearby and when they would get full, residents were throwing trash around them.

“When the trash bags are left lying on the ground, stray cats arrive at the site and start

to tear them open and create a mess,” he wrote.

On raising the issue with Bee’ah, the mess was immediately cleared. With regards to the issue of the bins not being cleared on time, they stated: “The garbage trucks of Beeah go to every corner of the city according to a preplanned schedule to ensure the garbage is properly collected at due times.”

 

Report: ‘Smart bus shelter needs some urgent maintenance work’

Published on October 20, 2016

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has provided several smart bus shelters for commuters around the emirate to be able to conveniently wait for a bus to arrive. However, in October, Geerthana Muthukaruppan, a student based in Dubai, came across a safety hazard at one of the stops located in the Raffa 2 area, on Khalid Bin Waleed Road, Bur Dubai.

She had seen water dripping from the overhead airconditioning units and was worried that pedestrians would slip due to the puddle formed on the ground or even get electrocuted.

When the issue was brought to the attention of the management of RTA, they immediately acted and “addressed the issue”.

The reader confirmed that within a few days the issue was resolved, the water cleared and the airconditioner fixed.

 

Is there an issue you raised with the authorities that got resolved promptly? Tell us about it on readers@gulfnews.com or post on our Facebook page.