UAE | Traffic and Transport

RTA executives to come face-to-face with public in new campaign

'We are all at the Front End' drive involves authority's top officials dealing with customers.

  • Staff Report
  • Published: 23:19 January 3, 2009
  • Gulf News

  • Each departmental director or section manager will sit in for the counter staff, says Laila Hareb, Director of the Customer Service Centres Department at the RTA Corporate Support Services Sector.
  • Image Credit: Gulf News Achive
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Dubai: The Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has launched a new initiative under the theme "We are all at the Front End", as part of its efforts to improve customer services. Under this new programme, the RTA departmental directors and section managers will be available at the counters of the RTA Main Customer Service Centre to deliver services to customers in person.

"The aim of the exercise is to provide these executives with first-hand knowledge of customers' views, suggestions and feedback," said a senior official.

"This new initiative billed as 'We are all at the Front End' involves the RTA management such as directors and managers, it aims to open a direct interactive link between RTA management and customers in an effort to upgrade the calibre of services rendered to customers," Abdullah Al Madani, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the RTA's Corporate Support Services Sector said.

He said the overall objective of the programme was to upgrade the standard of customer service, boost customer satisfaction, and enhance business conduct.

Two phases

The programme will be carried out over two phases; the first phase will witness departmental directors manning counters of the main customer service centre to process customers' transactions so as to experience customers' remarks and witness the services delivered to them.

In the second phase, section managers will deliver services to customers in person on the same counters to gain first-hand experience of the issues.

"This initiative forges a communication link between the RTA management and customers, and such interaction is bound to effectively boost the level of services rendered to RTA customers," said Al Madani.

He hoped the initiative would sort out many difficulties encountered by customers through having departmental directors and section mangers directly engaged with customers at the front end.

Laila Hareb, Director of the Customer Service Centres Department at the RTA Corporate Support Services Sector, said the RTA had already started the initial phase of the programme with Abdullah Al Bastaki, director of IT, Najeeb Al Zarooni, director of parking and Nazim Faisal, director of road maintenance processing customer transactions at the counters of the Main Customer Service Centre.

She said that other departmental directors would follow suit accordingly and gather feedback.

"During the process, each departmental director or section manager will sit in for the counter staff, speak to the customer, receive the transaction and process it in person before taking notes about the problems facing the customer, employee and the manager of the counters section.

"Directors will also take note of the period taken to process the transaction, the means of delivery and follow-up with other departments. Accordingly the director will take steps to improve the services," said Laila.


Do such initiatives help a company's management gain better understanding of customer needs? What problems have you faced with RTA services?


Your comments


It is really a good move by the RTA and I hope it really works this time. I had a very bad experience in the past when I called almost everyday to complain about the buses not stopping in the designated area. I gave all the bus details to the operator but all went to deaf ears, as till date the situation has not improved. I remember some month back there was a survey done in the bus by one of the RTA officials and a form was filled up by us. But again there was nothing different in the RTA behaviour.
Sandesh
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 04, 2009, 16:43

Good initiative by the RTA. I hope it is taken seriously. The solution for less traffic and accidents in Dubai is better bus service. At present there is a bus route from each and every corner of Dubai but the lack of frequency is the biggest problem, which needs to be adhered to.
Ketan Sawant
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 04, 2009, 16:27

The efforts made by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) are always remarkable. I hope something like this is done in Sharjah too.
Danish Jafri
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 04, 2009, 11:48

Well done RTA! You might not like what you hear and see, but at least you will be getting honest feedback. You will then have a better understanding of the nature and extent of the problems. I refuse to go to Dubai because of the dangerous and congested roads. Fix these problems and you will have me back to visit more frequently.
Greg Skulmoski
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: January 04, 2009, 11:13

It is so nice to hear that the RTA is now taking this step. Before I gave so many complaints about buses not arriving on time. Everytime I ask about this, they tell me to give a complaint reference number. However nothing happens.
Mohammad Nizam Al Deen
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 04, 2009, 09:27

This is a good initiative, however, it will only deal with the administrative problems. It would further help if directors could have a better experience and grasp of reality if they do not limit their encounters with customers inside the RTA offices. They will really experience the problems encountered by customers if they take the RTA buses and taxis during peak hours disguised as ordinary commuters. Through this, they will really come to know about the real situation and it will be the best time to contemplate for a solution while spending a lot of time queueing in the bus station, hailing a taxi and in traffic blockades.
Rommel Cortez
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 04, 2009, 09:03

I hope this will be taken seriously, otherwise these kind of exercises would just be a waste of time. Management and employee training programmes work only if the effort put in is in conjunction with follow through programmes. Or else the programme just fizzles out. This I can say from our own company's experience. There are a whole lot of issues that I am sure people would like to voice out but there are many constrains due to which we are unable to do so.
H.I.M.
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 04, 2009, 09:00

I think such initiatives would help. However, it is to be made sure that it's really happening. I had a very bad experience with the RTA. I went there to collect a booklet about road construction. Not only was I treated badly there, I was also asked to come back three times since the book was not available anymore.
Abdul Gafoor G. K.
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 04, 2009, 08:00

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