Dubai: Driving schools in Dubai, and the instructors in particular, will be under close scrutiny following the implementation of a new system that will keep track of every step in the drivers’ training process.
The system, which is being implemented by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), will ensure all students get a fair deal.
The new mechanism, to be in place by early next year, will keep an eye on all activities in driving schools, including the duration of drivers’ training, a senior official at the RTA’s Licensing Agency, told Gulf News in an exclusive interview.
“The new system will electronically monitor every single move of the instructor as well as the student. It will keep track of records, timings, history as well as the activities of all the training sessions,” said Jamal Hashem Al Sadah, Director of Monitoring and Enforcement Department at RTA’s Licensing Agency.
RTA, currently, has a system in place, which monitors the performance of driving schools through its team of inspectors.
“We have a dedicated team of inspectors who look into various aspects of training, curriculum as well as implementation of policies. The inspectors have access to the Driving school’s systems, while they also take feedback from trainees individually. However, with the new system we are trying to upgrade the process with the use of technology,” said Al Sadah.
The upgrade comes after feedback from trainees, who in several cases have complained of not getting value for money and their time.
“We want to make sure students get proper training and full value of money they pay for. We are looking at things like whether the trainer is giving his full time to the trainee or he is being lax,” added Al Sadah.
He pointed out instances when instructors start classes five minutes late or finish class five minutes early, cutting down on valuable training time for students. “Each class should be of 30 minutes and the trainee should get all of these 30 minutes — there should not be any compromise in this. We have come across cases where the instructor attends to his personal errand during training hours or comes late and we issue fines every day against such instructors,” he said.
He urged trainees to feel free to lodge complaints against instructors who they feel are not doing their duty honestly. The trainees can also request for a change in instructor if for any reason they are not satisfied with their trainers.
He said the use of technology will not only improve scrutiny of instructors, but also help trace progress of trainees.
“With the new system the trainees will not be able to skip any session of training. No student will be able to move forward without completing any part of the training. It will monitor student attendance for the lectures as well as road training,” he informed.
The system will be implemented in two phases, with phase one covering lectures and phase two covering road sessions.
More than 1,500 aspiring drivers appear for the road test daily, through five authorised driving schools in Dubai, with around 35 per cent of them returning with a driving licence in hand.
