Dubai: Seeking to take road and traffic management services offered in Dubai to the next level, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has opened a Crises Operations Centre, and an Accidents Investigation Centre.
The new centres, which mark the first of their kind in the Middle East, will help formulate strategies to handle traffic emergencies and crisis situations. The Accidents Investigation Centre will enable investigations, sample analyses and technical testing in all accidents reported within the RTA’s purview.
The centres were inaugurated by Mattar Al Tayer, chairman of the board and executive director of RTA.
The centres are equipped with sophisticated technology including giant screens connected with more than 5,000 cameras fitted to the Dubai Metro coaches and stations, in addition to cameras that can monitor various streets of the emirate, modes of marine transit, and RTA facilities, thus enabling specialised teams to track the unfolding road and traffic situations.
Ahmad Hashem Behroozian, CEO of RTA’s Licensing Agency and head of the crises management team, said: “The Crises Operations Centre has also been fitted with hotlines to various government departments such as the General HQ of the Dubai Police, Dewa [Dubai Electricity and Water Authority], Dubai Municipality, the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority, and Civil Defence among others.”
He added: “The cameras will relay live images of accidents and emergency conditions; besides the intelligent systems which help in planning operations via the GIS [Geographic Information System], direct communication channels directly connected with satellites, radio systems [Tetra] used for communication between team members of crises processes and emergency department.”
The centres adopt an integrated, holistic and speedy process to cope with various types of crises and disasters.
Behroozian reiterated that the crisss management team is ready to deal with all types of emergencies. “The centre was established with the aim of providing information on the current status of accident investigations, and assisting in training operations and knowledge transfer as well as organising and planning safety and risk management,” he said.
