24/7 'drive-thru' service to report minor accidents launched in Dubai

Dubai: A 24/7 “drive-thru” service for minor accident services is now available at Al Rashidiya Police Station, it was announced on Thursday.

Brigadier Saeed Hamad Bin Sulaiman, Director of Al Rashidiya Police Station, said the new service will reduce crowding, as 82 per cent of people visit the station to report minor accidents.

The service will take between three to five minutes, as opposed to waiting for a police patrol, which takes around 26 minutes for non-serious accidents during rush hour.

People who used to come to the police station had to wait for their turn in the queue, which would take time, Brig Sulaiman explained.

“This is just another alternative to using the minor accident service on the Dubai Police app, as some people do not have smartphones or do not know how to use it,” he said

The service is available for minor accidents that happen in the area of jurisdiction of Al Rashidiya Police Station.

A minor accident is where no injuries are involved and the vehicles are not severely damaged to be driven.

On an average, Brig Sulaiman said the station records 35 traffic accidents a day. Most of the accidents happen during morning and evening rush hours and are usually caused by tailgating.

“When you get into an accident you call 999 and if you are in our jurisdiction area and there are no injuries, they will tell you and the other party to come to Al Rashidiya Police Station, where the officers at the service booth will have already been alerted,” he said.

Once you reach the police station, there is a signboard in front of the drive-in booth. “The person goes in, takes a U-turn, and the officer will take his licence and registration from him, without having to leave the comfort of his car.

Within five minutes, the officer will enter all the information and take photos of the accident and will be able to send the accident report to your email or as an MMS, according to your preference.

“We have started the service on November 1, and since then we have had 103 reports processed through the booth. We noticed a significant decrease in the number of people coming into the station,” he said.

This decrease in people reporting minor accidents, he said, will cut down on the time other people have to wait for other services.

“We at Dubai Police always try to provide people with the best and fastest services,” Brig Sulaiman said.

Overall the customer satisfaction rates at the station was 95.5 per cent, he said.

“We are working on finding a solution for parking around the police station as we have had many complaints, although parking is not a police responsibility,” he said.

The satisfaction rate by customers for parking within the police station jurisdiction was 71.4 per cent.