Dubai’s 59-point strategy to ensure your road safety

RTA, Dubai Police endorse outlines of traffic safety strategy

DUBAI 13 June 2017: The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and the General HQ of Dubai Police have endorsed the general framework of the 5-Year Executive Plan of Traffic Safety Strategy.

The strategy comprises 4 key drivers namely: Monitoring & Traffic Control, Roads Engineering & Vehicles, Traffic Awareness, Systems Improvement & Management. The two parties have also endorsed the strategic performance indicators, and the targets of traffic safety strategy of Dubai Emirate 2017 – 2021.

To this effect, a coordinative meeting took place in the Enterprise Command & Control Center (EC3) between Mattar Al Tayer, RTA Director-General and Chairman, and Major General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police. Attendees included Major General Dr. Abdul Quddus Abdul Razzaq Al Obaidly, Assistant Commander-in-Chief for Quality and Excellence, Maitha bin Adai, CEO of RTA’s Traffic & Roads Agency, and several directors from both parties.

The general outlines of the Traffic Safety Strategy is part of deliverables associated with the implementation of the directives of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of the Executive Council to form the Traffic Safety Team. The team was tasked to chalk out the outlines of the plan, performance indicators, targets, and procedures & frequency of benchmarking. The overall objective of the plan is to step up the traffic safety level in Dubai, and reduce the rates of mortalities, injuries and accidents, said Al Tayer.

“RTA attaches top priority to the Traffic Safety aspect, which had been enshrined in its vision of Safe & Smooth Transport for All. Since 2008, RTA has undertaken an array of projects, plans & initiatives to enhance the universal concept of traffic safety and integrated it into its Traffic Safety Strategy 2008-2015,” he added.

The strategy covers 3 key components:

  • The Road
  • The Driver and
  • The Vehicle

As for the Road, all conditions & specifications of safety have to be addressed and integrated into the design and construction of road projects at the highest global standards.

As for the Driver, a consolidated module has been developed for training drivers and licensing vehicles to the highest standards & practices of the industry worldwide. Examiners from prominent global specialist firms have been trained and qualified. RTA is running continuous awareness campaigns in collaboration with its strategic partners namely the Ministry of Interior and the General HQ of Dubai Police to raise the traffic awareness culture of road users.

The third driver, the Vehicle, is subject to comprehensive licensing procedures to verify its soundness.

marri tayer

“Out of its keenness to promote pedestrians crossing safety، RTA has charted out an executive plan to ensure the safe mobility of pedestrian in Dubai. As many as 113 footbridges were built in Dubai since 2006; hordes of safe pedestrian crossings were constructed under new road projects. Pedestrian crossings and traffic calming devices were provided in all residential areas in the emirate, specifically around schools and masjids,” added Al Tayer.

Major General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, highlighted the importance of setting up procedures and programmes, and launching initiatives for traffic safety to realise the strategic objective of Dubai to be a safe, stable and developed city where life and property are protected.

“The Traffic Safety Team comprised all entities concerned with traffic safety. The Team has prepared the Executive Plan of the Traffic Safety Strategy in line with the Dubai Strategic Plan and the approved Safety Plan of the Emirate. The Team has also endorsed the procedure of measuring the results of the strategic performance indicators,” noted Al Marri.

“Major General Dr. Abdul Quddus Abdul Razzaq Al Obaidly, Assistant Commander-in-Chief for Quality and Excellence, said, “The coordination meeting between RTA and Dubai Police has agreed on the details of performance indicators of the administrative process of road security control, which is entrusted to the Dubai Police in its capacity as traffic law enforcer. Meanwhile, the RTA is concerned with road construction and other operations relating to vehicles, drivers and the engineering side.”

“Both parties have agreed on launching joint programs compatible with the UAE General Index with mortality rate amounting to one case per 100 thousand of population, especially as Dubai is a key player in this indicator. The two parties have also agreed on a mechanism for examining the developments of this indicator starting from the executive teams and middle leadership meetings.

rta police meet

“By the end of each year, the results have to be submitted to the Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, and the Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority, for endorsing the final deliverables. The findings will then be forwarded to the General Secretariat of the Dubai Executive Council on an annual basis.”

“The outlines of the Traffic Safety Strategy consists of 4 drivers, namely: Monitoring & Traffic Control (5 indicators), Roads Engineering & Vehicles (4 indicators), Traffic Awareness (2 indicators), and Systems Improvement & Management (3 indicators). Each set of indicators has its own priorities of programs to be launched in the respective domain of each entity,” said Al Obaidly.

According to the Traffic Safety Strategy, 17 programs have been assigned to the General HQ of Dubai Police under 7 priorities attached to the indicators, namely:

  1. Carrying out enforcement campaigns on practices triggering severe accidents,
  2. Enforcement measures against offenders of driving & traffic law violators in accidents hotspots,
  3. Spotting over-speeding drivers in areas witnessing frequent over-speeding,
  4. Reducing driving under the influence of alcohol,
  5. Developing research-guided policies,
  6. Promoting the role of the private sector in traffic safety, and finally
  7. Developing accidents data program

Maitha Bin Adia, CEO of Traffic and Roads Agency, said, “42 programs had been assigned to RTA, which revolve around upgrading the qualification of commercial drivers, improving driving competencies of young and inexperienced drivers, issuing driver licenses only after verifying the required skills, taking appropriate measures regarding roadside designs to reduce recklessness accidents and injuries, improving vehicle safety standards, addressing high-risk spots, implementing pedestrian crossing measures that cope with urban development of the emirate, and raising the awareness to reduce pedestrian accidents. The outlines also included two projects with joint responsibility between the two sides.”

By Angel Chan