Abu Dhabi: Drivers of leisure boats and small commercial boats and traditional dhows will soon need to obtain a driver’s licence to navigate their vessels in the waters of the UAE, a top official told Gulf News in an interview.
These boat drivers must enrol for training in accredited and licenced institutions and pass tests to acquire a driver’s licence, said Dr Abdullah Bin Mohammad Bel Haif Al Nuaimi, Minister of Infrastructure Development and Chairman of the Federal Transport Authority — Land and Maritime.
“Today, many boat drivers [of leisure and small commercial boats and traditional dhows] don’t have a licence to sail a boat in the sea. People assume that they can drive a boat and handle unforeseen circumstances and emergencies,” Al Nuaimi said.
However, the minister said, many boat drivers lose track in the waters and fail to communicate properly with the satellites when an emergency occurs.
“That is why it is necessary that boat drivers are professionally trained to ensure their safety and security,” he said. A decree in this regard is expected to be issued by mid-January 2017, Al Nuaimi said.
The Federal Transport Authority — Land and Maritime (FTA) along with the specialised institutions will assign the duration of the training and design the theoretical and practical training curriculum in Arabic and English by licenced trainers, he said.
The training will include driving lessons in the water, dealing with harsh weather conditions, acting in emergencies, proper communication methods, use of GPS and tracking system and locating the vessel.
Applicants aged 16 and above can apply for a driver’s licence of a boat not exceeding 12 metres in length and those above 18 years old can apply for a driver’s licence of a boat not exceeding 24 metres in length, he said.
Applicants must undergo a health check-up prior to obtaining the driver’s licence.
Al Nuaimi detailed the different types of driver’s licence for driving boats.
Leisure boat drivers can apply for licence of recreation vessels not exceeding 12 metres in length or recreation vessels not exceeding 24 metres in length. Whereas small commercial boats and traditional wooden dhow drivers can apply for licence of vessels not exceeding 12 metres in length or vessels not exceeding 24 metres in length and weighing a total gross tonnage less than 200 tonnes (GT), the minister explained.
The driver’s licence is valid for one year and can be renewed annually.
Those who have licences issued from accredited international bodies are exempted from applying for a driver’s licence.
