Dubai reveals new plan to reduce traffic, announces up to Dh200,000 fine

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has launched an extensive inspection campaign to identify improper practices of truck drivers, particularly random parking on main roads across the emirate.

The campaign is being undertaken as part of efforts to enhance road safety for all users and truck drivers, improve efficiency of the road infrastructure, and maintain Dubai’s urban landscape.

“The inspection campaigns undertaken by RTA aim primarily to regulate activities within the right-of-way, protect public facilities and infrastructure, and safeguard the road from unauthorised practices. RTA will continue to carry out these campaigns on a regular basis, alongside unannounced inspections, to identify violations and take action against those obstructing the right-of-way across the emirate,” said Arif Shakri, director of Right-of-Way at RTA’s Traffic and Roads Agency.

The authority has begun implementing intensified inspection campaigns targeting random truck parking on main roads and beneath bridges in several key areas across the emirate. These efforts form part of RTA’s broader initiative to curb violations, address practices that obstruct traffic flow and endanger road users, and ultimately enhance mobility and traffic safety across Dubai’s road network.

The RTA has developed 14 dedicated truck rest stops across the emirate to ensure greater comfort for drivers, particularly during truck-movement restriction periods on certain roads. “These facilities support efforts to reduce truck-related incidents and curb unsafe practices that jeopardise the safety of road users,” Shakri said.

The truck rest areas offer a range of services, including prayer rooms, diesel refuelling stations, retail outlets, restaurants, truck-maintenance workshops, and designated rest areas for drivers, among other public amenities. These facilities are strategically located along highways and major roads to meet the needs of drivers and transport companies and to enhance their on-road experience in line with international best practices.

The RTA has urged freight companies and truck drivers to comply with all regulatory and operational requirements, as random truck parking within the right-of-way or on main roads constitutes a clear violation. Penalties start at Dh5,000 and may be doubled in repeated or serious cases, reaching up to Dh200,000 depending on the nature of the violation and its impact on safety and traffic flow, in line with Executive Council Resolution No. (54) of 2021 regulating works within the right-of-way in the emirate of Dubai.