After the spell of heavy rain that lashed the UAE over the weekend, an unusual sight cropped up in Sharjah: Car number plates sticking out of pavements.
Found along the emirate’s Al Khan Interchange and Jamal Abdul Nasir Street, these plates most likely belong to motorists who had to speed through floodwaters.
Teams of the Sharjah Municipality worked day and night clearing the roads and fishing out dozens of number plates from water ponds.
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They placed them on the roadside and, to make sure the plates were visible, the workers stuck them between the blocks making up the walkways:
On the Jamal Abdul Nasir Street, the plates were kept on the grass by the road:
On Monday, many residents were seen checking the display in search of their missing number plates.
Nepalese national Raju Kumal stopped by Al Khan Interchange on Monday evening to scout for his four-wheeler’s front number plate, which he lost when he drove through knee-high waters a day earlier.
“I think my car number plate fell off here yesterday when I sped through the water pond because I was concerned about water seeping into my car and getting stuck in the water,” Kumal told Khaleej Times.
Though Al Khan Interchange was mostly clear, Jamal Abdul Nasir Street was still flooded on Tuesday morning. Trucks were seen running non-stop to clear the water.
Fines, penalties
In Dubai, driving without a plate or with a damaged one can fetch motorists hefty fines of up to Dh3,000, and a whopping 23 black points.
Motorists can apply for a lost certificate through the Dubai Police app by submitting a letter in Arabic from a company or institution with details of the lost plate, Emirates ID, email address, passport and other details.
The applicant will have to pay Dh70 for service and knowledge fees and an additional Dh100 if he/she sends the application in person through the service centre.