Latest news with #AlWathbaInsurance
The National
15-07-2025
- Automotive
- The National
UAE traffic rises as 8 in 10 drivers face road rage, study finds
Road rage is an issue for drivers during traffic congestion in the UAE, according to a survey that found more than 80 per cent of motorists experienced regular aggressive behaviour. An in-depth report on driver behaviour, produced by Road Safety UAE and Al Wathba Insurance, looked at factors that contribute to how motorists respond to situations on the roads. Researchers asked 1,021 drivers in June about their road habits, with 86 per cent saying they were regularly caught up in congestion. Almost half of respondents (47 per cent) said they felt frustrated, annoyed, very stressed or anxious when stuck in traffic jams. A further 82 per cent said they regularly witnessed rude or aggressive behaviour on the roads. 'For most, traffic congestion means high levels of stress and frustration,' said Thomas Edelmann, founder and managing director of Road Safety UAE. 'This can cause misbehaviour, which carries the risk of accidents, so from a road safety perspective, traffic congestion should be avoided." Motorists in the UAE "notice a lot of rude or aggressive behaviour in traffic jams and, hence, the awareness for polite and caring manners must be raised", he added. Criminal offence Road rage has become a catch-all term for poor behaviour from motorists. It is defined by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration as cases when a driver commits moving traffic offences that endanger another person or property. In the US, about 66 per cent of traffic-related deaths result from aggressive driving, the administration said, with men under the age of 19 the most likely group to commit road rage. It is a common problem around the world, with Highways England in 2022 reporting 12.5 per cent of road casualties were caused by aggressive driving such as tailgating. Road rage is a criminal offence in the UAE, if it results in a crime such as causing an accident resulting in injury or death, or if a driver use offensive language or gestures. The latest UAE road survey also looked at how common congestion is and the reasons for it. It found 80 per cent of people experienced more traffic than in 2024 and more than half of respondents (54 per cent) were driving alone, rather than sharing lifts. 'The dependency on road transportation is extremely high in the UAE and we need to find ways to reduce this and, as a consequence, reduce the number of vehicles on the roads, especially, considering the high number of motorists travelling alone in their cars without passengers,' Mr Edelmann said. What is being done? Considerable improvements to road infrastructure are well under way across the country, to ease congestion in some of the UAE's most notorious choke-points. The Dh750 million ($204.2 million) Emirates Road development project is the latest initiative aimed at tackling on the thorny traffic issue. The two-year project is expected to get under way in September and will increase the number of lanes from three to five, connecting a 25km stretch of road between Al Badee Interchange in Sharjah to Umm Al Quwain. Once completed, it will allow a 65 per cent increase in capacity on the road to about 9,000 vehicles an hour. The project, launched by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, follows the Dh689 million Hessa Street expansion that began in 2023 and aims to cut travel times on one of Dubai's busiest roads, as well as the Umm Suqeim-Al Qudra road improvements that are more than 70 per cent complete. Positive driving culture A YouGov study of more than 1,000 drivers in February 2018 found that most (72 per cent) experienced a positive driving culture in the UAE. Of the drivers surveyed, 65 per cent said they were considerate on the roads and were happy to give way to other motorists. The most unfriendly acts on the roads in 2018 were sudden lane changes, drivers running late, speeding and bullying or aggressive behaviour such as tailgating. Muralikrishnan Raman, chief financial officer at Al Wathba Insurance, said it was important to understand the changing nature of road behaviour so positive changes could be made. 'Through this survey, we wanted to give concerned traffic participants a voice,' he said. 'We need to understand their feelings and perceptions with regards to the omnipresent traffic congestion, and also to understand how much they depend on road transportation.'
What's On
07-07-2025
- What's On
Dubai–Sharjah traffic woes: 9 in 10 commuters hit daily jams, study shows
If your morning commute lately has felt like a live test of patience, you're far from alone. A new UAE-wide study from RoadSafetyUAE and Al Wathba Insurance finds a staggering 91% of Dubai drivers and 90% in Sharjah regularly face traffic jams—and 80% say conditions have worsened compared to last year. The survey, conducted in June among 1,021 UAE residents, highlights the most-congested trips: morning and afternoon work hours, followed closely by school drop-off and pick-up times . The root causes? Over 65% blame sheer vehicle volume, while 54% and 48% attribute jams to synchronized office and school start times . Dubai authorities reported 3.5 million daytime vehicles in 2024, up 10% over the past two years , and experts warn that unless commuting habits change, residents face increasingly clogged roads. What's being done—and what you can do Authorities Are Listening Officials say the goal is to shift habits. 83% of respondents back measures like promoting remote work and expanding public transport — ideas echoed by Thomas Edelmann, founder of RoadSafetyUAE, who hopes to pivot the conversation from anecdote to informed change . Sharjah has already closed an arterial road this week for upgrades—which may ease some pressure during the works . Tips to avoid the gridlock • Change your timing – early or slightly later travel can avoid peak hours. • Try carpooling or ride-share – fewer cars, less stress on roads. • Explore public transport – metro, buses, or the upcoming Sharjah Metro network . • Embrace hybrid work – working from home even one day a week cuts congestion and stress. Summer's heat may be unavoidable, but gridlock doesn't have to be. With congestion only getting worse, it's time to rethink how—and when—you travel. A small shift in routine could mean smoother—and cooler—journeys ahead. > Sign up for FREE to get exclusive updates that you are interested in
The National
03-07-2025
- Automotive
- The National
What can be done to solve UAE traffic congestion?
A new survey has confirmed what many motorists in the UAE know all too well – traffic congestion is a major headache for anyone travelling by road. The research, based on canvassing 1,021 people in the country, found 86 per cent of motorists 'typically experience traffic congestion '. Moreover, the problem may be intensifying, because four fifths of respondents in the RoadSafety UAE and Al Wathba Insurance study said they have noticed heavier traffic congestion year-on-year. It comes amid a population surge in the Emirates, with Abu Dhabi now being home to 4 million people and Dubai closing in on the landmark figure. Motorists cited several factors as causing the traffic jams, including too many vehicles on the roads, offices and schools all starting at about the same time, heavy dependence on private cars and poor driving that causes accidents. Respondents also gave their views on what could solve the traffic woes, with the most popular ideas being encouraging working from home, improving metro and train services, expanding the road network and improving bus services. Encouraging people to leave their car at home and take public transport is not easy, but a 'carrot and stick' approach has been shown to work elsewhere. 'The only way people will actually leave their cars is if you penalise them – you have congestion charging, or regulated parking, or charge for parking,' said Marcus Enoch, professor in transport strategy at Loughborough University in the UK and author of Roads not yet travelled: Transport futures for 2050. 'You need a stick before most people will shift from using their car. Applying sticks – charges, taxes – is unpopular and quite challenging politically," Prof Enoch said. 'Typically at the same time as trying to restrict car use, most places tend to give carrots as well. Definitely improving public transport is the carrot. The argument is you cannot just penalise people, you have to give them an alternative to get where they need to go to.' New methods Dubai introduced its road toll system, Salik, almost exactly 18 years ago, and the system has since been extended and modified, notably through this year's introduction of dynamic pricing, with levies increasing at peak times. Dynamic pricing has proved highly effective at managing traffic in other parts of the world, such as Singapore, where the Electronic Road Pricing scheme imposes, the authorities say, 'toll charges … according to time and congestion levels'. Abu Dhabi's Darb road toll system, which was introduced four and a half years ago, charges at peak hours in the morning and early evening. Many other measures could lessen the UAE's traffic woes. Surveys last year by Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and the Dubai Government Human Resources Department found flexible working hours and more working from home could cut peak-hour traffic by as much as 30 per cent. Travelling by air rather than on land may also help. The UAE is mapping air corridors for flying taxis and cargo drones, and one company, Joby Aviation, has been selected to supply and operate air taxis from Dubai International Airport to places such as Palm Jumeirah. Road improvements can deal with bottlenecks. Last month the RTA announced 40 sites in Dubai would benefit from such schemes, many to improve access or connectivity. However, while it may seem the obvious solution, simply building more roads – a favourite solution in the recent survey – typically does not reduce traffic congestion in the long-term, but instead provides only temporary relief. When more roads are built, the amount of traffic grows, known as induced demand. Urban problems 'Continuously building or expanding the roads is not the answer,' said Dr Apostolos Kyriazis, associate professor of architecture at Abu Dhabi University, who researches urban planning. "Road engineers know that. The more roads you build, the more traffic you will get." Dr Kyriazis said there have been numerous positive measures to reduce dependence on road vehicles in the UAE, such as the building in Abu Dhabi of a network of bicycle tracks. He would like to see such efforts increased so that cycling becomes 'a lifestyle'. He supports wider measures to promote 'soft mobility', such as walking and cycling. 'You need to protect people from the heat, so you need plenty of shading. You need bicycle tracks, safe passageway through highways, which is not the case in Abu Dhabi,' he said. Public transport can connect points within a city but this needs to be combined with ways of enabling people to travel to their final destination. He praised efforts in Dubai and Doha with regard to this. 'The metro lines are getting extended big time in order to cover areas not covered before,' he said. 'They're [also] trying to cover what we know as the last mile' from your metro station.' A year ago, Dubai authorities announced that the number of Dubai Metro stations would increase from 55 (with 11 tram stops) to 96 by 2030, with the number rising to 140 a decade after that. A central aim is to transform Dubai into a 20-minute city, meaning within that timeframe someone can meet their daily travel needs without using a car. Global issues Many cities around the world are seen as examples where good quality public transport has made life easier for residents. Prof Enoch cited the bus rapid transit system in Curitba in Brazil. With distinctive tube-like stations, it has been credited in reports as having 'sparked a transport revolution'. 'They built a busway system and then they built the city around the busway system,' he said. The bus routes are like the spokes of a wheel radiating out from the city, Prof Enoch said, and development is concentrated near them. 'It's quite clever how they link the land use to the available transport capacity" he said. "When you look at the map or a photo from above, you see high buildings and that's where the bus routes are." City development can reduce the need for cars, with high-density development more suited than low-density areas to public transport systems, for example. 'An effective response to congestion is not to expand road infrastructure, but to reduce car dependency,' said Dr Alexandra Gomes, a research fellow at the London School of Economics who has analysed transport systems in cities including Abu Dhabi and Kuwait City. 'This can be achieved by creating mixed-use developments and ensuring the proximity of shops and services that are accessible by walking and cycling, as well as by increasing urban densities that support the development of mass transit systems competitive with car travel times.'
The National
02-07-2025
- Automotive
- The National
Road tolls, road building, air taxis or metros – what will solve UAE congestion?
A new survey has confirmed what many motorists in the UAE know all too well – traffic congestion is a major headache for anyone travelling by road. The research, based on canvassing 1,021 people in the country, found 86 per cent of motorists 'typically experience traffic congestion '. Moreover, the problem may be intensifying, because four fifths of respondents in the RoadSafety UAE and Al Wathba Insurance study said they have noticed heavier traffic congestion year-on-year. It comes amid a population surge in the Emirates, with Abu Dhabi now being home to 4 million people and Dubai closing in on the landmark figure. Motorists cited several factors as causing the traffic jams, including too many vehicles on the roads, offices and schools all starting at about the same time, heavy dependence on private cars and poor driving that causes accidents. Respondents also gave their views on what could solve the traffic woes, with the most popular ideas being encouraging working from home, improving metro and train services, expanding the road network and improving bus services. Encouraging people to leave their car at home and take public transport is not easy, but a 'carrot and stick' approach has been shown to work elsewhere. 'The only way people will actually leave their cars is if you penalise them – you have congestion charging, or regulated parking, or charge for parking,' said Marcus Enoch, professor in transport strategy at Loughborough University in the UK and author of Roads not yet travelled: Transport futures for 2050. 'You need a stick before most people will shift from using their car. Applying sticks – charges, taxes – is unpopular and quite challenging politically," Prof Enoch said. 'Typically at the same time as trying to restrict car use, most places tend to give carrots as well. Definitely improving public transport is the carrot. The argument is you cannot just penalise people, you have to give them an alternative to get where they need to go to.' New methods Dubai introduced its road toll system, Salik, almost exactly 18 years ago, and the system has since been extended and modified, notably through this year's introduction of dynamic pricing, with levies increasing at peak times. Dynamic pricing has proved highly effective at managing traffic in other parts of the world, such as Singapore, where the Electronic Road Pricing scheme imposes, the authorities say, 'toll charges … according to time and congestion levels'. Abu Dhabi's Darb road toll system, which was introduced four and a half years ago, charges at peak hours in the morning and early evening. Many other measures could lessen the UAE's traffic woes. Surveys last year by Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and the Dubai Government Human Resources Department found flexible working hours and more working from home could cut peak-hour traffic by as much as 30 per cent. Travelling by air rather than on land may also help. The UAE is mapping air corridors for flying taxis and cargo drones, and one company, Joby Aviation, has been selected to supply and operate air taxis from Dubai International Airport to places such as Palm Jumeirah. Road improvements can deal with bottlenecks. Last month the RTA announced 40 sites in Dubai would benefit from such schemes, many to improve access or connectivity. However, while it may seem the obvious solution, simply building more roads – a favourite solution in the recent survey – typically does not reduce traffic congestion in the long-term, but instead provides only temporary relief. When more roads are built, the amount of traffic grows, known as induced demand. Urban problems 'Continuously building or expanding the roads is not the answer,' said Dr Apostolos Kyriazis, associate professor of architecture at Abu Dhabi University, who researches urban planning. "Road engineers know that. The more roads you build, the more traffic you will get." Dr Kyriazis said there have been numerous positive measures to reduce dependence on road vehicles in the UAE, such as the building in Abu Dhabi of a network of bicycle tracks. He would like to see such efforts increased so that cycling becomes 'a lifestyle'. He supports wider measures to promote 'soft mobility', such as walking and cycling. 'You need to protect people from the heat, so you need plenty of shading. You need bicycle tracks, safe passageway through highways, which is not the case in Abu Dhabi,' he said. Public transport can connect points within a city but this needs to be combined with ways of enabling people to travel to their final destination. He praised efforts in Dubai and Doha with regard to this. 'The metro lines are getting extended big time in order to cover areas not covered before,' he said. 'They're [also] trying to cover what we know as the last mile' from your metro station.' A year ago, Dubai authorities announced that the number of Dubai Metro stations would increase from 55 (with 11 tram stops) to 96 by 2030, with the number rising to 140 a decade after that. A central aim is to transform Dubai into a 20-minute city, meaning within that timeframe someone can meet their daily travel needs without using a car. Global issues Many cities around the world are seen as examples where good quality public transport has made life easier for residents. Prof Enoch cited the bus rapid transit system in Curitba in Brazil. With distinctive tube-like stations, it has been credited in reports as having 'sparked a transport revolution'. 'They built a busway system and then they built the city around the busway system,' he said. The bus routes are like the spokes of a wheel radiating out from the city, Prof Enoch said, and development is concentrated near them. 'It's quite clever how they link the land use to the available transport capacity" he said. "When you look at the map or a photo from above, you see high buildings and that's where the bus routes are." City development can reduce the need for cars, with high-density development more suited than low-density areas to public transport systems, for example. 'An effective response to congestion is not to expand road infrastructure, but to reduce car dependency,' said Dr Alexandra Gomes, a research fellow at the London School of Economics who has analysed transport systems in cities including Abu Dhabi and Kuwait City. 'This can be achieved by creating mixed-use developments and ensuring the proximity of shops and services that are accessible by walking and cycling, as well as by increasing urban densities that support the development of mass transit systems competitive with car travel times.'
The National
02-07-2025
- Automotive
- The National
Road pricing, road building, air taxis or metros – what will solve UAE congestion?
A new survey has confirmed what many motorists in the UAE know all too well – traffic congestion is a major headache for anyone travelling by road. The research, based on canvassing 1,021 people in the country, found 86 per cent of motorists 'typically experience traffic congestion '. Moreover, the problem may be intensifying, because four fifths of respondents in the RoadSafety UAE and Al Wathba Insurance study said they have noticed heavier traffic congestion year-on-year. It comes amid a population surge in the Emirates, with Abu Dhabi now being home to 4 million people and Dubai closing in on the landmark figure. Motorists cited several factors as causing the traffic jams, including too many vehicles on the roads, offices and schools all starting at about the same time, heavy dependence on private cars and poor driving that causes accidents. Respondents also gave their views on what could solve the traffic woes, with the most popular ideas being encouraging working from home, improving metro and train services, expanding the road network and improving bus services. Encouraging people to leave their car at home and take public transport is not easy, but a 'carrot and stick' approach has been shown to work elsewhere. 'The only way people will actually leave their cars is if you penalise them – you have congestion charging, or regulated parking, or charge for parking,' said Marcus Enoch, professor in transport strategy at Loughborough University in the UK and author of Roads not yet travelled: Transport futures for 2050. 'You need a stick before most people will shift from using their car. Applying sticks – charges, taxes – is unpopular and quite challenging politically," Prof Enoch said. 'Typically at the same time as trying to restrict car use, most places tend to give carrots as well. Definitely improving public transport is the carrot. The argument is you cannot just penalise people, you have to give them an alternative to get where they need to go to.' New methods Dubai introduced its road toll system, Salik, almost exactly 18 years ago, and the system has since been extended and modified, notably through this year's introduction of dynamic pricing, with levies increasing at peak times. Dynamic pricing has proved highly effective at managing traffic in other parts of the world, such as Singapore, where the Electronic Road Pricing scheme imposes, the authorities say, 'toll charges … according to time and congestion levels'. Abu Dhabi's Darb road toll system, which was introduced four and a half years ago, charges at peak hours in the morning and early evening. Many other measures could lessen the UAE's traffic woes. Surveys last year by Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and the Dubai Government Human Resources Department found flexible working hours and more working from home could cut peak-hour traffic by as much as 30 per cent. Travelling by air rather than on land may also help. The UAE is mapping air corridors for flying taxis and cargo drones, and one company, Joby Aviation, has been selected to supply and operate air taxis from Dubai International Airport to places such as Palm Jumeirah. Road improvements can deal with bottlenecks. Last month the RTA announced 40 sites in Dubai would benefit from such schemes, many to improve access or connectivity. However, while it may seem the obvious solution, simply building more roads – a favourite solution in the recent survey – typically does not reduce traffic congestion in the long-term, but instead provides only temporary relief. When more roads are built, the amount of traffic grows, known as induced demand. Urban problems 'Continuously building or expanding the roads is not the answer,' said Dr Apostolos Kyriazis, associate professor of architecture at Abu Dhabi University, who researches urban planning. "Road engineers know that. The more roads you build, the more traffic you will get." Dr Kyriazis said there have been numerous positive measures to reduce dependence on road vehicles in the UAE, such as the building in Abu Dhabi of a network of bicycle tracks. He would like to see such efforts increased so that cycling becomes 'a lifestyle'. He supports wider measures to promote 'soft mobility', such as walking and cycling. 'You need to protect people from the heat, so you need plenty of shading. You need bicycle tracks, safe passageway through highways, which is not the case in Abu Dhabi,' he said. Public transport can connect points within a city but this needs to be combined with ways of enabling people to travel to their final destination. He praised efforts in Dubai and Doha with regard to this. 'The metro lines are getting extended big time in order to cover areas not covered before,' he said. 'They're [also] trying to cover what we know as the last mile' from your metro station.' A year ago, Dubai authorities announced that the number of Dubai Metro stations would increase from 55 (with 11 tram stops) to 96 by 2030, with the number rising to 140 a decade after that. A central aim is to transform Dubai into a 20-minute city, meaning within that timeframe someone can meet their daily travel needs without using a car. Global issues Many cities around the world are seen as examples where good quality public transport has made life easier for residents. Prof Enoch cited the bus rapid transit system in Curitba in Brazil. With distinctive tube-like stations, it has been credited in reports as having 'sparked a transport revolution'. 'They built a busway system and then they built the city around the busway system,' he said. The bus routes are like the spokes of a wheel radiating out from the city, Prof Enoch said, and development is concentrated near them. 'It's quite clever how they link the land use to the available transport capacity" he said. "When you look at the map or a photo from above, you see high buildings and that's where the bus routes are." City development can reduce the need for cars, with high-density development more suited than low-density areas to public transport systems, for example. 'An effective response to congestion is not to expand road infrastructure, but to reduce car dependency,' said Dr Alexandra Gomes, a research fellow at the London School of Economics who has analysed transport systems in cities including Abu Dhabi and Kuwait City. 'This can be achieved by creating mixed-use developments and ensuring the proximity of shops and services that are accessible by walking and cycling, as well as by increasing urban densities that support the development of mass transit systems competitive with car travel times.'
