Cross the road safely to win an award

dubai — An initiative was launched to honour workers, who abide by road crossing laws, and their supervisors, who encourage them to follow the rules in Dubai.

The Dubai Police have started the initiative to honour workers who cross the road from designated areas during the year, as part of its Cross Safely campaign, organised in cooperation with the permanent labour committee for labour affairs. The campaign aims at reducing death and injuries resulting from run over incidents and to spread awareness among road users.

Brigadier Saif Muhair Al Mazroui, Director of the General Department of Traffic, said that it is one of the most important campaigns that targets zero deaths per 100,000 people by 2020 in line with the Dubai Police strategy.

He said that the campaign include distribution of brochures and delivering lectures at labour camps to educate worker on how to cross the road — to stand far from walk side, ensure that road is clear to cross and to avoid using mobile while crossing and also not to cross highways and from areas that cannot be seen by drivers.

Brig. Al Mazroui added that the labour supervisors who exert efforts to educate workers will also be honoured.

According to him, the Dubai Police have recorded 77,000 violations for pedestrians crossing the roads from non designated areas in 2016 compared to 64,620 in the previous year. In the year 2014, it was 61,320 violations. He said that the Dubai Police have delivered 36 lectures in 2016 and 27,570 people benefited from them.

In 2016, 49 people were killed in road accidents compared to 33 in 2015.