White points system should be rolled out nationwide — official

Dubai: A top police official has called for the white points system to be rolled out nationwide after it was revealed half a million motorists in Dubai had clean driving records last year.

The figure was revealed during a meeting on Monday to discuss the system which rewards safe motorists. The meeting focused on how the scheme could be improved.

Major General Mohammad Saif Al Zafein, chief of Dubai Police’s traffic department, said that 500,000 motorists who registered their cars in Dubai and had their driving licences issued in Dubai did not commit any traffic offences last year. There are some 800,000 drivers in Dubai.

“The white points scheme which awards good drivers is one of the police initiatives to reduce the number of traffic accidents and traffic fatalities in Dubai,” he said.

He said the scheme, which rewarded 700 drivers last year, is set to recognise 1,000 motorists in its second year.

“The number will be increased next year by 30 per cent more. Motorists can gain white points if they don’t commit any offences,” he said.

Drivers are rewarded with prizes that include hotel stays and meals in restaurants.

“Drivers who have clocked up black points are able to cancel them out if they gain white points,” he said.

He urged drivers who did not win last year but who have white points to approach the police to cancel their black points if they have any. A maximum of 12 white points can be gained per year, he said.

To gain one point per month, motorists must not commit any Salik or traffic offences.

“We need to apply the scheme all over the country,” he said.

Major General Al Zafein also said that the Federal Traffic Council, which is expected to hold its first meeting this month, will work on unifying traffic rules all over the country to reduce accidents and fatalities.

The council will discuss various issues such as banning heavy vehicles on roads at the same time, he said.

“Some emirates ban heavy vehicles at different times from other emirates which may cause traffic accidents and traffic jams,” he said.

He said some emirates such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi allow motorists to exceed the speed limit by 20km/h while some emirates allow them to exceed the speed limit by only four or five km/h.

The council will also discuss the issue of allocating special areas for long-distance truck drivers. He added that this is part of the police’s aim to reduce the death rate on the roads to zero by 2020.

“In 2007 the number of deaths on Dubai roads was 332 and this year the number of deaths on the road is only 134 which is a good achievement,” he said.

There was also a need to educate labourers on how to use the roads, he said. Thirty per cent of road fatalities involve pedestrian accidents in which Asian workers are the victims.

Bassma Al Jandaly is the Community and Crime Correspondent of Gulf News