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Driving schools urged to follow uniform systems
DUBAI — Traffic police authorities are seeking to ‘convince’ motor driving schools in Dubai to adopt uniform systems and procedures rather than to ‘impose’ such measures on them, officials said yesterday.
These uniform systems are necessary to contribute towards the development of school performance and enhancing skills of the driving licence aspirants, said acting Director of Dubai Traffic Police Department, Lieutenant Colonel Abdullah Al Ghaithi.
The police official held a meeting recently with representatives of major driving schools and institutes in the emirate.
A spokesman said the meeting discussed mechanisms to unify school procedures and standards.
“Dubai Police don’t want to impose solutions on big and small driving schools to deal with obstacles. We do not want to solve problems by means of issuing instructions,” said Lt Col Al Ghaithi.
He said traffic authorities want to always use the means of dialogue and the exchange of ideas and opinions to reach “realistic solutions that satisfy all parties and achieve quality standards and customer satisfaction”.
Varying methods of working adopted by some 200 motor driving schools in Dubai have yielded different standards of driver performance, a thing which authorities want to deal with to help solve many of the emirate’s traffic problems.
According to police officials, some of the problems relate to the failure by some schools to abide by driving lesson timings on city streets.
An official said that driving instructors should operate outside residential area boundaries. Driving test procedures should be standardised in all schools, especially when it comes to driving tests on heavy vehicles, machinery and motorcycles.
In efforts to revamp the operations of motor driving schools, police in May said a dedicated centre for motor driving schools was likely to be set up in the Nad Al Hamar area.
The authorities concerned in Dubai government put together a preliminary concept for the proposed centre on similar lines as the car showrooms area. A number of driving schools and institutes earlier approached the authorities to provide plots of land to practise their daily work, away from residential areas and congested roads.
Officials said the project was to be designed to accommodate some 2,500 vehicles that can operate at the same time. This number is big and necessitates a large area. There are 1,957 registered driving instructors in Dubai.
The project was being scrutinised by the authorities represented by his department and the planning division of Dubai Municipality. If and when the project is completed, it would mean all driving schools would be transferring their operations to the new centre, which would be similar to a small model city to learn driving. The civic body is expected to complete its studies to execute the project that would again reflect the advancements made by the emirate in all fields.
Among the 1,957 driving instructors in Dubai, there are 1,178 instructors employed by small-size driving schools and 779 others employed by major schools and institutes. Among the instructors are 249 women — 150 at small-size schools and 99 in major institutes.
The number of light vehicles for learning motor driving, according to statistics of the traffic authorities, has totalled 1,885, of which 1,189 are operated by small-size schools and 696 with major schools; the number of heavy vehicles has reached 46, of which 21 are with small schools; and heavy buses number 37, of which 19 are operated by small schools. Light and heavy mechanical equipment and motorcycles are also used by small and big driving schools in the city.
The plans to set up the new centre came on the heels of a number of measures to revamp motor driving business in the emirate. In February, driving schools of lower standards and capabilities, as compared to advanced-level institutes, were asked by traffic authorities to either provide better services or exit the market altogether.
The decision was taken as Dubai Police moved ahead with the implementation of new conditions governing the licensing of driving schools in the emirate, ostensibly aimed at providing better services.
Officials said the new licensing system for driving institutes was put together in line with the changes taking place, especially in relation to a strong-paced privatisation trend. They urged driving school owners to apply the new rules and requirements or “withdraw from the market to avoid bringing motorists of low driving skills”.
The officials said low-standard skills by motorists, who learnt at poor quality driving schools, usually take long time to acquire the licence; and when they do, they cause accidents because of their poor performance. They said the decision was in line with efforts to make Dubai roads safer for all.
The new conditions stipulate that a school or an institute should be owned by a UAE national and has to have a permit from the licensing authority to work in the field. The manager should have a record of good conduct and with no previous criminal affiliation. The entity should also have a plot of land to be prepared for driving classes as well as a statement showing the number of vehicles to be used; and the number of light vehicles should be at least 30. However, vehicles of other types will be subject to the management of the school or the institute.
Learning expenses will also be specified in coordination with the licensing authority. The new system will also make it compulsory for school management to use only licensed vehicles. These vehicles must be provided with instruments for learning, including additional brakes and a board on the roof that carries the name of the institute. Plates should also carry the letter ‘L’ in red and its equivalent in Arabic. The letter should not be less than 10cm long. An intrinsic requirement will be the use of curriculum endorsed by the traffic department for theoretical classes, and the appointment of a technician licensed by the licensing authority.
Officials said schools should immediately appoint a person able to explain traffic laws and regulations to driving licence applicants, and a contract must be signed in this respect.
Training permits have a set of conditions; they include that a coach should be of good conduct, not younger than 21 years and has to pass a technical test. The applicant should take at least six hours of theoretical classes to absorb the curriculum of the traffic authorities.
The traffic authorities warned that no school or institute would be licensed without the mentioned requirements.
The meeting last week at the traffic department, attended by motor driving school representatives, also discussed means to transfer driving school activities for heavy vehicles and buses to special areas in Deira and Bur Dubai to be away from traffic congestion areas.
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