Unified drivers' training urged

Dubai: The Roads and Transport Authority has recommended that the federal government unify the training and testing system for new drivers across the country.

"We are upgrading training and testing for new drivers in Dubai but the procedure for obtaining driving licences varies in different emirates," said Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA.

Replying to a question by Gulf News, he said that the RTA has already sent proposals to the federal government to look into this important issue because it is key to improving drivers' behaviour and subsequently reducing road accidents.

"Some people drive on roads as if they are driving in the desert," Al Tayer had said earlier.

Strict monitoring

He said the RTA has taken strict notice of driving schools in Dubai, where the licences were earlier given without proper training and examinations.

"We have already separated the training and testing system procedures. Now the driving schools provide training and our inspectors test drivers," he said.

He said that since the RTA has started the new procedure early this year, the ratio of people passing driving tests has decreased from 95 per cent to 40 per cent.

The RTA has also signed an agreement with an Australian company to re-design the whole process of issuing driving licences in Dubai.

"We are not making it tough to get a driving licence but making it 'a fair deal' to ensure that a person gets his or her licence only after they know all the rules and safety aspects," he said.

A total of 193,498 people obtained driving licences in 2006. However, only 22,949 new driving licences were issued during the first six months of this year.

Reckless motorists: RTA plans random driving tests

The Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is also considering having random driving tests of drivers involved in reckless driving cases, Gulf News has learned.

"A plan to have random driving tests of reckless drivers and those involved in serious traffic violations is part of the studies conducted by the RTA to improve driving skills in the emirate," said an official. He said the aim is to improve driving skills in order to reduce traffic accidents and traffic jams.