According to data collected by an online marketplace, Deira, Silicon Oasis and Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT) are the most cockroach-infested areas in Dubai while Bur … Read more
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Shindagha tunnel, the second oldest crossing on Dubai Creek between Deira and Bur Dubai, is set to be replaced soon. Gulf News reports that the … Read more
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Burjuman Mall in Bur Dubai is all set for Vox Cinemas and Carrefour hypermarket.
Expansion work will start in January 2013 and is expected to last for 18 months. Tenants having shops in renovation area have been assigned to temporary locations in the new wing.
Back to School is usually fun. Not for some students with special needs.
An Australian owner of well-known school for children with special needs in Dubai fled UAE with more than Dh1 million in tuition fees, leaving the families of the pupils in shock just days before the start of the new school year.
Parents said they had received text messages and emails from a British institute in Bur Dubai telling them it would not reopen for the new school year after its Australian owner fled the country.
“They said the owner fled with all the fees paid by the pupils over the past few weeks for the new school year…the fees amount to more than Dh1 million,” the Dubai-based Arabic language daily Emirat Alyoum said.
It quoted a student’s father, identified as Abu Mohammed, as saying: ”The escape of the school owner with the fees paid by the pupils caused shock and confusion to the pupils’ families as the new school year has almost started and it is not possible for us now to transfer our children to a new school as such specialized schools are few and most of them should be full by now.”
He said most parents had reported the school owner to Bur Dubai police but added no one expects a quick solution to the problem.
An Emirati agent for the school’s services, identified as HM, confirmed the school owner had fled the UAE with the money.
“The owner sent me an email saying he had fled because he was heavily indebted and that he was wanted in many court cases in financial disputes, including one filed by his wife,” he said. “He told me that he owes large sums to banks and that he decided to disappear to escape trouble.”
The agent told the paper that he himself was a victim and that he was working with the police and the ministries of labour and social affairs to reach a settlement that will satisfy all parties.
Emirat Alyoum said the school has 30 teachers and 53 special needs pupils, who pay Dh80,000 each in annual school fees. Many of them have already made advance payments of more than Dh20,000 for the new school year.
Now public transport commuters travelling inside Central Business Districts (CBD) have to pay extra, as the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has realigned mobility zones in Dubai.
With the launch of the Green Line, which runs through the heart of CBD, less than a month away, the expansion of zones from five to seven, metro and bus fares for travelling in the area would be affected.
The expansion has seen a division of the CBD into two zones as Satwa, Karama and Bur Dubai, which used to be part of Zone Five have been carved into a new zone, which means travelling between Bur Dubai and Gold Souq in Deira which was earlier in the same zone and cost Dh1.80, would now cost more.
One apparent benefit commuters would have of the realignment is that areas of Muhaisana and Mirdiff which were earlier divided into two zones would now come under one single Zone Four.
The basic fare for travelling on the Metro as well as buses remains the same.
A short journey not exceeding three kilometres will continue to cost Dh1.80, while travel within the same zone but exceeding three kilometres would cost Dh2.30. A journey between two zones would continue to cost Dh4.10 and beyond two zones would be Dh5.80.
In order to force commuters to use the Metro, RTA is canceling some popular Bus routes across Dubai.
The RTA’s Public Transport Agency which runs public buses, cancelled a number of bus routes in recent months, especially on routes which run parallel to the Metro line.
However, the cancellation of some very popular bus services such as route numbers 91, 91A and X92 has infuriated hundreds of passengers who were regular commuters. These routes were cancelled with effect from May 1.
The cancellation of routes has also negatively impacted the business of shopkeepers and restaurants close to the Bur Dubai and Deira bus stations.