Alsafa Transport News

Trailer registration to ensure safety: RTA

2013-02-12T02:14:00.004-08:00

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) inspectors and examiners of trailers found that serious tyre defects, body cracks, defects in connections between the tractor and trailer, defects in the air pressure connections of the brake systems, and poor side and rear lighting of trailers have the potential of causing accidents.

This was stated by Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman and Executive Director of RTA, following six months’ successful experience of registration of trailers and semi-trailers instituted last February, with 1,684 trailers registered and 2,259 chassis numbered till July.

Al Tayer added that the number is expected to rise to 3,700 trailers by the end of this year, noting that the estimated number of trailers in Dubai exceeded 60,000.

“Trailers have been classified into 15 types most notably flatbed trailers, surface trailers, side-curtain trailers, container trailers, tanker trailers, passenger transport trailers, and petroleum products transport trailers among others. Trailers testing and registration service is currently available at three centres, namely Enoc, Tamam Al Ghandi, and Al Shirawi Centre,” said Al Tayer.

He said that trailers and semi-trailers registration service is part of RTA efforts and commitment to ensure the safety of road users, safeguard the rights of owners of these trailers, and verify that security and traffic safety stipulations are well adhered to in all trailers plying the streets of the UAE, often triggering accidents resulting in huge loss of lives and properties.

“In view of the lacking registration of trailers in the past, many trailer-related accidents used to be registered as accidents caused by ordinary vehicles, without mentioning trailers. The situation contributed to stealing of trailers and rendered it extremely difficult to establish the rights of the affected parties due to the lacking proof of ownership or identity of trailers. Moreover, all trailers produced locally bear no Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN) on their chassis,” Al Tayer added.

He said that the new system catered to the testing and registration of trailers and semi-trailers in line with sound technical specifications and standards that address the security and traffic safety aspects.

“The RTA has already coordinated with the Ministry of Interior prior to the implementation of the trailers testing and licencing system. Consideration is now given to implementing the system at the federal level, and coordination is underway with several government departments and agencies in the emirate of Dubai, such as Dubai Municipality, and Dubai Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation, to urge truck owners to take the initiative of registering their trailers in the system,” said Al Tayer.

Courtesy: http://www.khaleejtimes.com/nation/inside.asp?section=transport&xfile=%2Fdata%2Ftransport%2F2012%2FAugust%2Ftransport_August40.xml

Mandatory annual permits for professional drivers in UAE

2013-02-12T02:12:00.000-08:00

Dubai: By next year, people whose jobs involve driving will have to pass an annual mandatory medical test, without which they won’t be granted permits to work as professional drivers, Gulf News has learnt.

A new federal law, which will be applicable in Dubai by the end of this year and comes into effect by 2013 across the rest of the country, requires all professional drivers to obtain a professional driver’s permit and have it renewed every year.

The law covers all categories of drivers and will bar cabbies, bus drivers, heavy vehicle and pick up drivers, as well as chauffeurs and domestic drivers with certain health conditions such as heart ailments, diabetes and epilepsy from continuing with their jobs.

“We are mainly looking at heart patients, diabetics and epilepsy cases.

“People with these and a few other health conditions have sudden seizures; allowing them to be on the road for long hours is dangerous for them and for other road users.

“We are co-ordinating with Dubai Health Authority (DHA) on the final list of illnesses. Once we finalise that and other operational details, we will implement the law,” said Ahmad Hashem Behroozian, CEO of RTA’s Licensing Agency.

He said that in order to get the permit, applicants will have to pass a mandatory medical test, which will be conducted by DHA-authorised medical centres.

Behroozian said that the application for the permit will be processed online and the results of the test will be uploaded online by the medical centres, following which RTA will issue the permit.

“This [permit] should not be mistaken for the driving licence. This permit is only for professional drivers who already have a valid licence. They can continue to hold the licence even if their permit is not renewed, but in that case they can’t work as professional drivers,” explained Behroozian.

Around 60,000 people who work as drivers in Dubai alone are likely to be affected by the new law, which will make sure that drivers with certain ailments can’t continue with their jobs.

RTA is planning to launch the new system before the end of this year but there could be a temporary reprieve for a few categories as the authority plans to implement the law gradually.

“We will most probably start with a few small categories because this is a new initiative and we don’t want too many people to be affected all of a sudden. Gradually we will expand to other categories as we go along,” he clarified.

Interestingly, in certain severe cases, RTA will not only cancel the permits but will also revoke driving licences and this is applicable for common motorists as well.

“Even for normal motorists, if they are afflicted with severe ailments, the authority will revoke their licences. However, the ailments and conditions for the same are being discussed with DHA,” he asserted.

The fees for the medical test and permit will be Dh100.

Courtesy: http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/mandatory-annual-permits-for-professional-drivers-in-uae-1.1094571

RTA to block files of firms who don’t register and test their trailers

2013-02-12T02:08:00.000-08:00

Dubai: After effectively implementing the heavy trailer testing system in Dubai, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has proposed to authorities in other emirates to adopt the system in order to curb the number of accidents caused by heavy vehicles.

Heavy vehicles are estimated to cause more than 20 per cent of accidents on highways, many of them due to ill-maintained and faulty trailers, claiming dozens of lives every year.

RTA has carried out regular awareness campaigns on roads, where vehicles are stopped on the highways and drivers are explained about the best practices and safe driving habits.

Taking the safety mission further, the authority recently launched the heavy vehicle defect management system, which makes registering and testing of trailers along with the heavy trucks mandatory.

“We are working with the transport firms as well as the police to create awareness and to strictly enforce the system. We have set up testing facilities for trailers which are divided into 10 categories based on the goods they carry,” said Ahmad Hashem Bahroozian, CEO of RTA’s Licensing Agency.

The tests differ based on the varying risk factor of the trailers, which is linked to the type of goods a trailer carries such as hazardous material, food items, inflammable material, oil, etc.

Bahroozian says the system has proved effective in reducing risks on roads in its initial phase and that is the reason why RTA is proposing to the Ministry of Interior to implement it federally.

“I think if the system is implemented federally it will have the desired impact rather than we having it only in Dubai because we see a lot of trailers registered in other emirates on Dubai roads and vice-versa. So having a common mechanism will really help in improving road safety,” added Bahroozian.

The comprehensive project aims to step up the traffic safety on roads through minimising accidents caused by heavy vehicles, reducing the number of unsafe vehicles on roads and prompting the transport sector to care for the safety of heavy vehicles while also training drivers on positive attitudes.

RTA is approaching big transport firms with huge fleet of trucks and trailers to make them aware of the new system and those found guilty of not registering their trailers will face penalties.

“We are informing transport firms and trailer owners to register their vehicles and have them tested but if we find any trailer unregistered through our enforcement rounds then we will block the files of the firms,” Bahroozian said.

He said once RTA has a better control over the heavy trailers the system will be introduced for light trailers as well. Light trailers include those coupled with light vehicles to carry luggage, jet skis, bikes, etc.

During the pilot phase, the RTA has succeeded in categorising more than 40 heavy vehicles representing nine different brands and varying models. The results substantiated the effectiveness of the system in providing a comprehensive database about heavy vehicles and their operational condition, feasibility of the system in eliminating faults through inspection and follow up.

The Ministry of Interior has agreed to coordinate with Abu Dhabi Police and the Federal Customs Authority to review RTA’s project concept with a view of implementing the system federally.

Courtesy: http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/rta-to-block-files-of-firms-who-don-t-register-and-test-their-trailers-1.1103321