UAE: Free service fulfils 15,000 roadside assistance requests in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi’s transport regulator Integrated Transport Centre (ITC) resolved more than 15,000 incident requests in the first six months of this year.

In a statement, the ITC, which is part of the Department of Municipalities and Transport, said its Road Service Patrol unit provided support and road assistance during these incidents, with an average response time of 10 minutes across the emirate.

Specialised patrol vehicles were deployed to provide traffic management services, clear emergency situations, deal with vehicle malfunctions, and remove broken down vehicles and obstacles from main roads.

The free Road Service Partrol handles incidents on main roads, providing quick support to road users by promptly and effectively removing broken down vehicles involved in road accidents. The unit also tows malfunctioning vehicles off the road in order to prevent traffic congestion.

Various benefits

“The service aims to increase road safety, reduce congestion, and improve traffic flow on Abu Dhabi’s roads, as well as reduce the financial losses incurred by accidents and congestion. The service also helps reduce the possibility of secondary incidents resulting from accidents or traffic obstruction, and ensures traffic management during accidents and road works,” the ITC said.

“Through this service, the ITC also detects and manages traffic during minor incidents, and implements any necessary road closures required during serious accidents. The unit reroutes and closes traffic lanes for traffic detour implementations, and also helps manage traffic during traffic light signal failures,” it added.

Motorists can also request assistance from the Road Service Patrol. Its teams help road users during minor vehicle breakdowns by supplying fuel, and assisting with tire changes and battery charging.

The service also provides support and traffic management for local and major international events in the emirate by preventing traffic congestion.

Initially operating only within the capital city, the scope of the Road Service Patrol was expanded to include new roads, including the Sheikh Zayed Street and Tunnel, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Street E311.