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RTA to conduct final driving test for licence

DUBAI — A committee from the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) will now conduct the final driving test of a person applying for a licence while certified training centres will only be responsible for qualifying the applicant.

In a quick response to the directives of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of RTA issued the order to this effect yesterday.

He said a plan would soon be worked out to improve the quality and standard of training drivers so as to highlight the importance of safe driving skills and force them to abide by the road regulations.

The RTA has selected international companies specialised in licensing drivers in order to participate in the tender of a project which aims at developing the licensing department and establishing the standards associated with it. The project will be completed within six months from the date of it being awarded, he added.

Al Tayer also emphasised on increasing the number of training programmes for drivers of taxis, public buses and those of franchising companies to enhance their driving skills. The number of supervisors would be increased over the RTA drivers to check their commitment to traffic rules and regulations and to reconsider a system of penalising the taxi drivers in cases of violations and increasing fines as a warning, he added.

Al Tayer stressed the need to intensify awareness campaigns and focus on the most susceptible groups including youth and truck drivers because as per reports, 80 per cent of deaths caused by road accidents are due to over speeding.

He said a comprehensive plan had been prepared to raise traffic awareness including the launch of campaigns and training workshops. The campaigns include emphasis on wearing seatbelts as studies prove that wearing seatbelts reduces the risk of deaths in crashes up to 60 per cent.

Other campaigns include reduction in traffic congestions with slogans like, 'Hand in Hand to reduce traffic Congestion' which aim at finding alternatives, limiting reckless driving, improving behaviour, reducing negative emotions and anger while driving, reducing environmental damage due to traffic congestion and directing drivers to use alternative routes.

Another awareness campaign for "truck drivers" aims at stressing the importance of adhering to the laws of traffic. He added that another RTA campaign is for emergency vehicles like ambulances and fire engines and highlighting their role.

A model plan of a traffic city will be displayed in Global Village during the Dubai Shopping Festival including participation in the radio traffic programme.