While the design of the signs is good - large, with clear, easy-to-read wording, Arabic and English - they are all to often misleading, confusing, in the wrong place. They add to the dangers of driving in Dubai and they do cause crashes, I've seen it myself.
Now there's a frantic campaign under way to make them even more confusing.
It's gone beyond just changing signs which indicate the way to suburbs to the new obsession with showing the way to roads we've never heard of.
I came across this sign yesterday on Interchange 4. They used to indicate the way to "Dubai" or to "Jebel Ali. Abu Dhabi", which was clear, concise, not confusing.
So they had to go, to be replaced by:
6 comments:
This board had reminded me of my recent journey to Toronto, the signs there are very much similar. The straight road showing one lane towards East and other towards West and/or North or South.
I told my brother and friends and rather bragged about the system here in Dubai that it is very concise and clear little did I know that we are going to have same problem here in Dubai.
Drivers have adjusted themselves to this sign system in Canada but I found many of them many a times confused as the road suddenly devides to take you to either this or that direction. I am sure this problem will start here too and we will see more accidents due to this change.
I'm still confused about which is north and which is south... I usually just wave my head about wildly trying to see any landmarks that might indicate where I really want to go!
But usually I stick to tried and tested roads... don't want to get lost!
I agree with Zafar, the road signs are very American. I guess its time we invest in a compass.
Maybe this is just a marketing ploy to encourage the sales of GPS units?
Given that I'm directionally challenged, I've come up with my own system to remember where to go:
I always think "Dubai and the northern Emirates"...so I know that Dubai is North...and Abu Dhabi is South...
Now I just gotta figure out the East/West thing...
*shakes head at utter stupidity of rta* i'm rather happy that i have an in-built compass and signs don't bother me too much
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