To Solve Traffic Problems In Dubai Poor People Could Be Banned From Owning Cars

Too much traffic? Too many cars on the road? Dubai is contemplating a novel way of solving that problem- increase cost of gasoline, parking fees, insurance, and, here's the kicker, limiting car ownership to those making over a certain amount of money. In other words, only the rich will wind up being allowed to drive those fancy gold Lamborghinis on the roads of Dubai, if the director general of Dubai Municipality, Hussain Lootah, has his way.

“Everybody has their luxury life,” said Hussain Lootah, director general of Dubai Municipality. “but the capacity of our roads cannot take all of these cars without ownership laws.”

A salary limit scheme that would restrict car ownership to those earning above a certain monthly income is one of several options that could be considered.

“We should increase parking fees, increase fuel costs, insurance prices,” he said. “It costs Dh30 [in Germany] to park for half an hour — Dh1 per hour in Dubai.”

Carpooling?  No way.

“There are more than 200 nationalities in Dubai,” he said. “I can’t see [education and awareness] having an effect, and soft [regulations] don’t work any more. Even in Europe and America it doesn’t work. Unless you go hard, no one will obey.”

More on the story here.