Some regular commuters between Sharjah and Dubai were caught off guard as they forgot about the revised speed limit on the bustling Al Ittihad Road.

Starting today (November 20), the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and Dubai Police jointly decided to reduce the maximum speed limit from 100km per hour to 80km per hour from the Sharjah-Dubai border on Al Ittihad Road all the way to Al Garhoud Bridge. Violators could face fines of up to Dh3,000 for not adhering to the new speed limit.

Najwa Jabri, a Syrian national who commutes between Sharjah and Dubai for work, shared, "I didn’t remember that the speed has been revised from today, and I had to drive 20km slower. I read about it in the media but forgot the date. When I saw the signs on the road, then it struck me that the speed limit has been revised."

Jabri noted that the chances of speeding over 80km per hour in the morning are slim due to heavy traffic. She mentioned that traffic was significantly higher on Monday morning due to an accident on Al Ittihad Road.

In contrast, sales executive Hassan Shaukat, a Pakistani resident of over 20 years, stays vigilant about speed limits, especially on main roads. He noted the change in the speed limit and made a conscious effort to remember it to avoid any violations.

Siddharth Somaiya, a restaurant owner who frequently travels between Dubai and Sharjah for business, expressed hope that the new speed limit would help alleviate the substantial increase in traffic observed in recent months. He was aware of the speed limit change and noticed the signs being covered last week. Somaiya highlighted the significant traffic surge over the last few months and how it has impacted his commute.