Saturday, October 04, 2008

RTA wants our feedback.

In Gulf News this morning there's more on the new street addressing system, which I was talking about yesterday.

When we say 'new' it means of course new to Dubai, the rest of the world has been using it for hundreds of years.

The report ends: The Roads and Transport Authority is awaiting feedback from the public on the new system.

OK, lines from the story and feedback...


RTA takes stock of new address system

A project follow-up committee has been set up and consists of experts from Dubai Municipality, Police, Civil Defence, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, Unified Ambulance Centre, Emirates Posts Holding Group, etisalat and du.


My feedback on that - excellent, well done. The organisations involved are talking to each other, something that doesn't happen often enough.

...The new system is clear, concise, simple and easily memorised as it is based on building numbers, and names of road...

Feedback - excellent again. Not new, not rocket science but it's a system that's worked successfully for so long around the world.

But then it goes pear shaped.

This system will replace district names used in the old system

Feedback - no no no! Totally wrong, misleading, confusing, unnecessary.

You need to keep the district names and they need to be what's on directional roadsigns.

When we're driving around the already confusing road system trying to find our way to, let's say, Umm Suqeim, we need a sign that directs us to Umm Suqeim.

The last thing we need is a sign that doesn't mention the suburb but instead tells us it's the way to Ali Baba bin Abdulaziz Street.

PLEASE DON'T DO IT.



There's another little RTA piece on the same page and this one has me back in the land of the bewildered.

Here it is in full:

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) recently organised a training course designed to upgrade the profile and efficiency of its employees on etiquette and international protocol.

According to an RTA press release, more than 21 employees from different departments took part in the course which lasted for one week.

Among the etiquette skills gained by participants were etiquettes of communication, speech, introduction, dress, eating, gift presentation, telephone etiquette, social visits, banquets, visiting patients and decorations.


Look, I know it's a bizarre suggestion but instead of teaching them eating and gift presentation skills, wouldn't it be more useful to teach them about road planning? Teach them how to erect road signs in the right place? Teach them the importance of giving motorists advance warning of road changes?

(I was going to ask whether the visiting patients skill they're being taught refers to patients of road crashes, but as that would be facetious I won't).



You can find the stories here and here.

7 comments:

Dubai Photo Story said...

Dude, I completely agree with you!!! Imagine tying to get to Satwa. imagine a board that directs you to Al Dhiyafa Street. But damn... I want to go to Satwa!!!! These guys have taken off the boards on SZR (coming into Dubai) which used to show 'Al Safa'!!!

Anonymous said...

I don't think you're being facetious at all - that was the first thing that I thought of when the article said "visiting patients". Thought in that case would have been better to train them in self defense!

caz said...

What is the nationality of most of the members of the RTA?

Caz.

Seabee said...

Caz, the same as all companies here it's got every nationality you can think of. As it's a government organisation there are Emiratis in top jobs, but not all the top jobs, with employees and consultants from north, south, east and west.

Alexander said...

They're gonna get rid of Satwa if it kills them, aren't they?

Unknown said...

Now why the eff did I laugh so hard reading your post??? Way to Ali Baba bin Abdulaziz street!!!!!!!!

Musthafa said...

what they should do is keep existing direction boards and place additional direction boards for streen names.