Abu Dhabi to have single driving school

Private driving institutes in the capital will soon be replaced by one large single company that will provide quality training with the highest international standards.

Emirates Driving Company, a semi-government organisation, invited contractors yesterday to register for the construction of its head office building and training field, stretching over an extensive piece of land in Mussaffah.

The public stock company was established about a year ago.

Amer Mohammed Rayyan, the company's general accountant, said yesterday that the building will take a year and the institute will be fitted out with the latest equipment to teach driving on various categories of vehicles.

He said the owners of major private driving institutes in Abu Dhabi have been asked to buy shares in the company, in which Abu Dhabi government has some 30 per cent shares.

The Traffic Police have also secured a 25 per cent share. The company will open a branch in Al Ain at a later stage, Rayyan pointed out.

The institute will also have a simulator to train people on all the mechanical and electrical aspects of driving. It will have an inhouse practical training field where the trainees will drive and learn the basics instead of being trained on the city streets, he added.

The learning process will be divided into three main categories – for new learners, middle learners and advanced learners.

Rayyan said the training will be provided by qualified instructors, including officials from the Traffic Police Department.

Once it comes into being, the institute will be the only place that can recommend a driving licence.
The traffic police will issue a licence through it only.

Rayyan said with the help of the traffic police department, an applicant for a driving licence will be given quick dates for tests.

The official said the project will be completed in various phases. In the first phase, the construction of the company's facilities will be built and work is expected to start on it early next year.

The project, said Rayyan, is being supervised by the Centre of Excellence for Applied Research and Training of the Higher Colleges of Technology in Abu Dhabi. The selection of equipment will be done in the second phase.