Business in Ramadan: RAK’s repair shops in overdrive during deadly time of year for motorists
Ramadan is not only a season for joy – it is also a month of fender-benders.
Long nights and empty bellies make Ramadan one of the deadliest times of year for motorists. Sixteen people died in the first half of this year’s holy month; last year there were 26 roads deaths in the month.
Minor collisions and crashes are routine as people battle fatigue, thirst, hunger and irregular hours. For car-repair shops, this makes the holy month a money maker.
On the highway to Musandam in Ras Al Khaimah, car-repair shops work until 3am. Dozens of mechanic’s shops line Oman Street and every one of them does a thriving trade at midnight.
Shorter office hours in Ramadan also give customers a chance to have their cars fixed.
“It’s not more profit but it’s easier work,” said Omar Farooq, owner of Punjab Auto Electric on Oman Street. “We only work at night and the profit stays the same.”
The small dents and ticks from Ramadan collisions are repaired throughout the year as people prepare to renew their car’s registration.
Vehicles that are scratched, dented, dirty or otherwise blemished quickly fail costly renewal tests and so these Ramadan dents translate into eventual business.
“If you have a small accident, you’re still running your car until they are seeking to renew,” said Ejaz Hameed, a sales clerk at Al Sabah Spare Auto Parts.
“That’s Ras al Khaimah. They will fix their car only when it’s time for registration.”
Driving in Ramadan is equal to driving in the fog, said Fareed Lutfi, the secretary general of Emirates Insurance.
“It has a psychological effect on people and it changes peoples’ driving behaviour,” Mr Lutfi said. “It’s hunger and thirst. There are traffic jams all over the place. Crashes increase because everybody is bumper to bumper.”
The hour before iftar is problematic, but so is the morning when people are rushing to work. People stay up late and eat before 4am, and many try to maximise their time in bed in the morning. This leads to everyone rushing to work at the same time.
“Most of the accidents happen in the morning because people tend to stay out late at
One of the most important skills motorists could master was patience, a virtue extolled in the Quran
night and then they’re rushing in the morning,” Mr Lufti said. “Everybody starts work at 9am, and everybody wants to get to the office and people seldom make it on time.”
Mohideen Mohammed, at one Oman Street mechanic shop, said: “In Ramadan, everyone is sleeping, no?”
For him, this translates to a 5 per cent increase on his regular business.
Fortunately, the number of crashes in Ramadan have declined because of increased police patrols and road safety awareness programmes, RAK Police spokesman Col Marwan Al Mansoori said.
“Social media has helped a lot to get our message everywhere,” Col Al Mansoori said. “All people use it, all nationalities, all ages, men and women and this has helped us.”
He said that one of the most important skills motorists could master was patience, a virtue extolled in the Quran.
But until this virtue is mastered by motorists, the mechanics of Oman Road will be ready to help.