Creative Living

“Traffic is killing my social life,” said a friend who recently moved to Dubai.

In my two years here I’ve seen the situation go from manageable to difficult but it didn’t strike me that road stress has resulted in no life after work.

Don’t get me wrong, this is not yet another moan about traffic woes; but the more I asked the more I was told people were too tired to go anywhere once they got back home from work.

What’s a life without the time to take a midnight dip with friends in the sea off Jumeirah beach?

True, the RTA is grappling with the situation with very good intentions… There’s the combination subway/ monorail under construction.

The end of 2007 will see 38 traffic lanes open over the Creek (Bridge Building Exercise, pages 6-7) and 500km of new roads will be added on by 2020.

However, despite the roads and transport expansion, the number of vehicles (2.7 million) forecast might just see this well intentioned plan in difficulty.

Dubai is growing, more people, more projects, more businesses. But what’s a life without the time to watch the flame of the forest trees in full bloom? Or take a midnight dip with friends in the sea off Jumeirah beach?

One colleague who moved to Al Shwaib, a little over half the trip to Hatta on the Al Ain Road, has found a solution.
“I drive 96km from door to door each way and I still have time for a great social life because I make the trip in 45 minutes. I’m happy,” she said.

Now compare that to the time it takes drivers from Sharjah, Deira and sometimes even Bur Dubai to get to work on the west side of the city.

The cherry on the cake moreover is that the rent on the outskirts of Dubai is about 10 per cent that of Jumeirah, no housing fees charged; the living is easy and peaceful.

Since most of us are expats very used to commuting long distances in our home countries anyway, where’s the problem?

I believe this colleague has found an innovative way to work, drive and live in Dubai on her terms.

Do you have a brilliant idea? Start thinking and write in and let us know.

Nirmala Janssen
editor@alnisrmedia.com
www.xpress4me.com/letters