Drivers in Abu Dhabi receiving speeding notifications weeks after the offence

One driver was notified of a ticket five weeks after being clocked by a camera. But other motorists are still getting messages almost immediately

Drivers said they are used to receiving notification of speeding fines within days rather than weeks. Sammy Dallal / The National
Powered by automated translation

Drivers in Abu Dhabi say they are receiving text messages notifying them of speeding violations weeks after they were caught on camera.

One motorist said it took five weeks for one SMS message to come through from Abu Dhabi Police. Another said they were told of the offence after two weeks.

Drivers are urged to regularly check themselves for traffic fines online with Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority and Abu Dhabi Police websites.

But the text message system was itself set up to cut down repeat offences - ensuring drivers were informed about their speeding without delay.

“I got a notification on the 28th for a speeding offence on the 15th,” said one woman driver, who asked not to be named.

It was then swiftly followed by a second text message the following day for an offence that occurred almost a week earlier. She would ordinarily receive speeding notifications within a couple of days, she said.

“I asked the taxi driver and he thinks it happened when you are driving from the office and you are going back towards Salam Street towards the Corniche. The speed limit suddenly drops to 60kph, but there was no sign. So I was probably driving at 80kph the whole time,” she added.

She is now worried that she could have even more tickets as she was not aware of the change in the speed limit.

“Yet had I received one the next day I would have known to slow down. And I have been so cautious and so careful with every other speed limit. That is the only one I didn’t know about.”

A sign showing a 60kph limit on the stretch has since been installed, she added.

_______________

Read more:

Covered signs create confusion over removal of speed buffer in Abu Dhabi

Fines said to be halved as Abu Dhabi removes 20kph speed buffer

Abu Dhabi speed limit buffer scrapped: drivers predict confusion, fines but ultimately safer roads

_______________

Another driver said he received no text message for a speeding violation in Abu Dhabi, five weeks on.

“I checked my RTA app on Thursday evening and there were no violations,” said another driver, who lives in Dubai and drives to Abu Dhabi each day for work.

But after receiving a text message for an offence in Dubai, he visited the site again to find that he had two tickets.

“I had another one from July 25 at 10.49pm from Abu Dhabi Police. And I have had no text message telling me about that five weeks on,” he said.

However, some drivers are still receiving text message notifications in the expected time frame.

Amy Bambridge, from the UK, was caught speeding twice on Thursday on the Dubai-Abu Dhabi road before Sheikh Zayed Bridge, where the limit drops from 140kph to 120kph.

“My husband got the text messages today,” she said.

Abu Dhabi Police has been contacted for comment.

The force has previously said it is keen to provide more detailed information including when and where the offence took place, to allow drivers a clearer idea of why they are being penalised.

A buffer zone that allowed motorists to travel 20kph faster than the posted speed without incurring fines was removed in Abu Dhabi last month. The change was made after conducting studies on causes for traffic accidents, engineering standards and traffic density, according to the government.