Six truck rest areas open on Dubai highways

Dubai: Highways in Dubai now have six rest areas for truck drivers, which can accommodate up to 160 trucks, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced.

The first rest area on Emirates road, opened in June last year and since then five more have been opened to help heavy vehicle drivers get adequate rest.

RTA plans to open six more rest areas this year and 12 more in 2016, taking the total to 24.

Each parking facility can accommodate up to 30 heavy vehicles, and is part of RTA’s efforts to enhance traffic safety on highways and streamline movement of trucks. The facilities in the rest areas also include, restaurants, dormitories, clinics, vehicle workshops, petrol stations etc.

The parking facilities will also have security personnel around the clock.

The new parking facilities have come up on Mohammad Bin Zayed Road, Emirates Road and Jebel Ali-Lahbab road and Hatta Oman road, while the rest of the facilities will also come up on these highways at different locations.

“The RTA is keen on implementing the objectives of the strategic plan of traffic safety on main roads and in 2014 we completed the construction of six highway rest stops for trucks with a total capacity of 160 parking slots. According to the plan, six new rest stops will be constructed in 2015 and work is in currently underway in selecting appropriate locations for these stops,” said Maitha Bin Udai, CEO of RTA’s Traffic and Roads Agency.

She added that the locations of these stops are selected in accordance with certain criteria such as that they have to be on highways and near service centres and petrol stations to ensure the availability of basic services to drivers.

In the absence of proper lay-bys or parking facilities for heavy vehicles on highways, drivers are forced to park their vehicles on the edge of the roads leading to regular accidents.

Maitha reiterated RTA’s keen attention on ensuring the safety of road users, providing all safety and security precautions in internal and external roads to the highest international standards and specifications.

“As human errors account for about 85 per cent of traffic accidents, concerted efforts of all public and private institutions are needed to raise the awareness of road users, particularly drivers of trucks and buses,” she noted

She called on all drivers to observe traffic safety regulations, avoid breaching the rules, and park their vehicles at the designated places in order to avoid hazards.