Dubai taxi drivers will be fined if passengers do not wear their seat belts, according to a taxi company official.
The new Federal Traffic Law came into effect on July 1, which states AED400 fine and four black points for drivers failing to fasten seat belts while driving for all passengers.
“The driver will be fined and not the passengers,” a senior official of Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC), a subsidiary of the Road and Transport Authority (RTA), confirmed to Arabian Business.
“Under the new law, it is the driver’s responsibility to insure that all the passengers are fasting their seat belts,” he said.
In a statement, the RTA said that a circular has been issued to taxi drivers to ask passengers to fasten the seat belt in all the franchise companies.
Taxi drivers, however, claimed they will not be fined if passengers fail to fasten seat belts if they have asked them to buckle up.
“We have to inform all the passengers to buckle up, but if they refrain and are caught by the police they will have to pay the fine,” one driver said.
Currently, a number of DTC taxis have installed two cameras – one in the front and one at the back – to enhance safety and security of drivers and passengers.
Last week, Major-General Mohammad Saif Al Zafein, assistant commander-in-chief for operational affairs at Dubai Police and director of the Federal Traffic Council, said taxi drivers can refuse to drive if the passengers don’t wear the seat belts.
Arabian Business has approached the Federal Traffic Council for clarification.
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