Commercial buses must have speed limiters

Dubai - The UAE Ministry of Interior has accepted a recommendation from the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (ESMA) for installing speed limiters in commercial vehicles carrying passengers.

The regulation is being implemented in all seven emirates of the UAE by local authorities such as Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority, Abu Dhabi Police, and Sharjah Police, among others.

Under the rules, passenger buses, vans and minibuses must be fitted with speed limiters for safety reasons.

Dubai Police figures show speeding offences – at 695,521 incidents – constituted 63 per cent of the 1.2 million traffic violations recorded on the emirate’s roads in the first seven months of 2013.

A manufacturer of speed limiters, Autograde International, has installed 20,000 speed limiters on passenger buses, mini vans and school buses.

Transport industry professionals said the development has reduced the risk of major accidents and increased fuel efficiency.

Mohammad Badri, ESMA’s director general, said: “This initiative should make achieving the targeted 5.5 deaths per 100,000 population, as part of the ministry’s initiative for Decade of Action for Road Safety, a distinct possibility.”

The ministry had in March made speed limiters mandatory for private passenger buses, minibuses, and vans with a capacity for nine to 22 passengers. School buses are already required to set limiters to 80 km/h. Meanwhile, Dubai Taxi started installing speed limiters on its fleet in 2009.

There are over 40 types of vehicles included in the rule and vehicles that do not have a speed limiter will not get a pass certificate to renew the annual registration.

Hussam Al Shawi, general manager of registration service Tasjeel, said: “We are committed to support the programme, and take all measures to strengthen awareness among the concerned vehicle owners on the need to install the speed limiters.”

The ministry, in association with ESMA, has approved companies like Autograde to make speed limiters available to auto dealers for sale to the public. Mohammad Ashraf, Autograde’s managing director, said the limiter would give drivers greater control over their vehicle, cut road fatalities and reduce fuel consumption.

Nabeel Al Yafie, operations manager at Dollar and Thrifty Rent A Car and general manager at Al Wataniya Workshop, added: “Speed limiters have reduced the risk of major accidents for commercial vehicles by 10- 15 per cent as well as brought down the fuel consumption for fleet owners.”