Dubai: Heavy vehicles in service for 20 years or more are being linked with the Smart Monitoring Centre of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai.
Mattar Al Tayer, director-general of RTA, announced the start of the initial stage for the mandatory implementation of the Vehicles Safety System.
The system involves fitting monitoring devices in trucks to enable RTA personnel at the monitoring centre to monitor the conduct of heavy vehicle drivers. Accordingly, they will communicate with the patrols of Dubai Police and RTA to enforce the law against offenders.
Al Tayer stressed RTA’s keenness to introduce best solutions to traffic education and safety, besides applying smart technologies in various fields, including the smart monitoring of heavy vehicles. He said such measures improve traffic safety and security and curb accidents resulting from improper conducts of drivers.
Al Tayer added: “From the start of this year, RTA experimented the use of the System on 577 trucks. In coordination with the Dubai Police, Dubai Municipality, Civil Defence, and Emirates Gas, three inspection campaigns were launched on heavy vehicles — trucks, light vehicles and pickups. In the final quarter of this year, RTA would compile information about faults of trucks and conducts of drivers to build a solid database that helps the assessment of vehicle and driver risks and enables taking appropriate actions against violators.”
He added: “Last year, RTA tested 99,642 heavy vehicles and 34,024 trailers. Vehicles of various types are being tested in Dubai according to the applicable rules periodically upon the expiry of registration to verify their compatibility with the approved technical standards issued by the Vehicles Licensing Department. Trucks and trailers are being tested and licensed in five testing centres equipped to carry out the tests required on this type of vehicles.”
For drivers, RTA started with a training module for manoeuvres of trucks connected to trailers. All heavy truck drivers have been subjected to a medical screening system at the time of issuing or renewing their driving licences.
Early this year, RTA launched the Smart Monitoring Centre, which also monitors the performance of licensing service providers in Dubai, such as vehicle technical testing centres and driving institutes, and carries out remote monitoring of heavy vehicles.
