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A glitch in the registration system kept hundreds of Gitex 2005 visitors stranded in long queues on Tuesday, and traffic added salt to the wounds for many visitors who finally managed to reach the much-hyped world-class event, eyewitnesses said. In some cases, visitors had to wander around three to four desks to get a badge, a process which is supposed to be a one-stop service. "What's the point of having such a wonderful facility if the systems do not work?" asked an IT professional who had to pay Dh25 to enter the event, entry to which is free for IT professionals. Most of the registration staff was hired by organisers Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) on a temporary basis. Media professionals also faced hurdles as the internet at the media centre did not work on a few occasions, forcing journalists to seek alternatives. Commuters also complained of the authorities' stepmotherly attitude towards three private cab operators Metro Taxi, Cars Taxi and National Taxi. "While Dubai Transport cabs were picking up and dropping off visitors to anywhere and everywhere, other cabs were asked to use designated areas to pick up visitors and drop them off," said a trade visitor. "Why should there be two sets of rules for different cab companies?" A source close to the DWTC told Gulf News, "The DWTC has asked Dubai Transport Corp to deploy 400 cabs to Gitex, due to the sheer size of its fleet. For others there are designated areas." A DWTC spokesperson told Gulf News, "We were anticipating growth in the number of visitors, but not as high. "Currently, we are witnessing 25 per cent growth in visitors, something that went beyond our projections." The five-day visitor count for the Gitex Shopper exceeded the 72,000 mark, rising by about 20 per cent over the same period last year, as consumers and small business owners sifted through more than 4,000 products. "The traffic situation this year is much better than that of previous years. There is congestion in the morning. But for the rest of the day, I think traffic is smooth," he said. "When you have such a large event, some things could go wrong." However, the rest of the business activities have gone almost flawlessly.
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