UAE
Desktop grocery clicks big time
Desktop grocery clicks big time
By Dina Aboul Hosn, Staff writer/GULF NEWS Published: August 15, 2007, 23:36
Dubai: Residents of new Dubai areas can now order their daily groceries online, thanks to an innovative project of two young Emirati men.
Supported by the Mohammad Bin Rashid Establishment for Young Business Leaders, Khalil Al Mansouri and Nasser Hussain joined efforts to set up eMart, the UAE’s first online supermarket.
“We cater to the residents of the new developments in Dubai, who have no supermarkets or groceries nearby, and want to save the time and effort they spend shopping for groceries,” Al Mansouri, managing partner of eMart.
“Many people want to avoid the hassle of leaving home, driving and queuing in the very few hours they get to spend with their families or rest, and this is where the idea came from,” he said.
Al Mansouri said he does not like to think of his project purely in business terms.
“Instead of solid sales figures, I like to say that I have more than 3,750 loyal and satisfied customers since we started eight months ago. Some of our customers order their freshly squeezed orange juice, bread, cheese and their daily newspaper to be delivered to their doorsteps at 6am, on a regular basis. And they get it,” Al Mansouri said.
He added that the products are not only fresh and of the highest quality, but eMart also promises buyers lower prices than most other supermarkets and conventional stores, besides delivery in less than an hour.
“Some people say that online shopping lacks the personal touch, so we thought about it and came up with Viva, our icon. The cute Viva is your helper when you go shopping online. Through a live chat support, shoppers can ask Viva about products and where to find them, and make any suggestions,” Al Mansouri said.
“Most of our customers are women, who find it convenient to shop online without leaving their houses and getting stuck in traffic to buy a few items. We receive an average of 150-200 orders daily, out of which an estimated 75 per cent are made by women, and this is why we created Viva, a female icon, to be closer to them,” he added.
The 18 delivery motorcycles are equipped with custom-made cool boxes that have separate compartments for frozen, refrigerated and room temperature foods, and orders are delivered by seven similarly equipped cars. Customers are not charged for delivery or service.
“We also play the role of middleman between suppliers and customers. Suppliers can display their products on our pages, and we do the delivery.
Environmental angle
“Our prices are the cheapest, and our warehouses are kept in pristine conditions, hygienic and air conditioned. We also do our bit for the environment by working in a paperless environment and reducing the number of cars on the roads,” Al Mansouri said.
“We even bill our customers through their emails, and they can electronically sign their invoices.
“They can log on to http://www.emart.ae and make orders round the clock, but we currently deliver from 6am to 1am. By next month we will be delivering orders round the clock,” he added.
“Our slogan is future shopping today, because soon most people will be shopping online for all their needs to save time and effort,” Al Mansouri said.
Fast facts:
Website: http://www.emart.ae
Offers 2,200+ items
Orders can be made round the clock
Live chat support
Deliveries from 6am to 1am, and round the clock from September
Frozen, refrigerated and room temperature items can be delivered at the right temperature in custom-made cool boxes.
Maximum speed limit on many roads in Dubai ‘to be lowered’
Maximum speed limit on many roads in Dubai ‘to be lowered’
By Ashfaq Ahmed, Staff Reporter / GULF NEWS Published: August 14, 2007, 23:35
Dubai: Motorists beware: the maximum speed limit on many of Dubai’s roads, including Shaikh Zayed Road, will be changed soon.
The maximum speed on Shaikh Zayed Road from Interchange two to Interchange five (Dubai Marina) will be reduced from 120km per hour to 100km per hour, confirmed an official from the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority.
The speed limit from Al Garhoud Bridge to Interchange two is already 100km per hour. Motorists are allowed to drive at least 20km above the given speed limit before they are caught by radars and cameras. The minimum speed limit will remain at 60km per hour.
“We are in the process of revising speed limits on most of Dubai roads in order to reduce fatal accidents, because speeding is the main killer,” said Badr Al Siri, Director of Traffic Department at Roads and Traffic Agency in RTA.
He said 240 out of 312 people were killed in accidents caused by speeding last year. Around 45 people were killed and 273 got injured in 122 accidents last year on Shaikh Zayed Road alone.
He said the speed limit will also be reduced from 120km to 100km per hour on Al Khail Road. Also, we are planning to revise speed limit from 100km per hour to 80km per hour on a number of roads. “The measures are being taken after extensive studies,” he said.
Some 136 people have been killed on Dubai roads during the first six months of this year.
Free bus service to save lives
Free bus service to save lives
By Ashfaq Ahmed, Staff Reporter/GULF NEWS Published: August 13, 2007, 22:48
Dubai: The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is hoping pedestrian deaths will drop once it introduces its free shuttle bus service.
The RTA has taken this new initiative to encourage people to use the free bus service and curb traffic accidents between the first interchange and Trade Centre roundabout on Shaikh Zayed Road.
“Some 14 pedestrians have already died while 39 were injured in various road accidents so far this year on Shaikh Zayed Road,” said Mohammad Obaid Al Mulla, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Public Transport Agency at the RTA.
A total of 20 people have died on this road during the first six months of this year. Out of 135 total road accident deaths, 56 pedestrians had been run over, the RTA statistics revealed.
Final arrangements
Badr Mattar Al Siri, Director of the Traffic Department at the RTA said: “With the launch of the new service, pedestrian accidents this year would drop. Last year 120 pedestrians died on Dubai Roads compared to just 47 in 1997.”
Initially two buses will shuttle on this route at an interval of half an hour. However, the date of launching and exact time of operation will be announced soon, once the RTA makes final arrangements. It is expected to start next month.
Al Mulla said the provision of such services comes within the vision of the RTA to provide safe and smooth transport for all.
“The service will not only help reduce pedestrians deaths but also reduce traffic on this stretch of the road as motorists can leave their cars and use buses to commute between offices and hotels in this important commercial and residential area,” he said.
Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, Dubai Financial Market and a number of hotels are all in the area between the Trade Centre Roundabout and the Defence Roundabout.
Al Siri called upon pedestrians to take extra caution by crossing roads from designated places only.
Danger spots
“The RTA has also fenced a number of danger spots, which have witnessed accidents where pedestrians had been run over, which accounted for 38 per cent of the total accident fatalities in 2006.
“It is an alarming indicator because pedestrian mortality rate in developed countries ranges from 15 per cent to 18 per cent of the total road accident deaths,” Al Siri said.
Residents working on Shaikh Zayed Road have welcomed the free bus shuttle service.
“It is a great idea. I have to commute between offices on both sides of Shaikh Zayed Road for my meetings. Now I can leave my car and take the bus,” said Rameez Ali, a salesman.
He said it would also save him from the hassle of finding parking.
The RTA is also spending Dh70 million on pedestrian bridges and signal-controlled zebra crossings in Dubai to reduce deaths.
At least 17 new crossings will be completed in 2008. In addition, 47 pedestrian crossings are being constructed as part of Dubai Metro Stations Project, 12 of which are located at the Dubai Metro stations on Shaikh Zayed Road.
Pedestrians face hefty fines and jail for ‘carelessness’
Traffic enforcement officers have sent out a strong warning against reckless pedestrians who cross roads at undesignated areas, thus causing accidents and endangering the lives of themselves and others.
Pedestrians have been warned against crossing roads irresponsibly and from the undesignated areas as they might be slapped with a hefty Dh500 fine or jailed, Salah Bu Farrousha, Head of Traffic Public Prosecution, told Gulf News yesterday.
“If a pedestrian crosses the road carelessly and [is] responsible for an accident … endangering his own life besides the lives of others [motorists] then he will be slapped with a maximum fine of Dh500 or land in prison.
“Crossing a road in an undesignated spot is an act punishable by law,” said Bu Farrousha.
Have your say
Will you use this free bus service? Do you think it can really help save lives?
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