Source: www.rta.ae
The Roads and Transport Authority RTA has scooped two awards in the categories of Intelligent Traffic Systems and Road User Education, at the 10th edition of the Gulf Traffic Exhibition and Conference, which was held at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The event featured the participation of more than 100 exhibitors hailing from 20 countries engaged in various road and railway projects as well as intelligent traffic systems and public transport in the region.
Beaming with pride for this achievement, Engineer Maitha bin Udai, CEO of Traffic and Roads Agency, RTA, said “The award won by the Traffic and Roads Agency for its “RTA Smart Drive App” was vied for by four public and private entities at the regional level in categories of Intelligent Traffic Systems; which reflects RTA’s keenness to adopt edge-cutting technologies in providing real-time and accurate traffic information for road users in Dubai emirate.”
“The Smart Drive App is a navigational system for the UAE based on the Global Positioning System (GPS) which offers motorists with road guidance offline via their mobile devices, besides providing accurate information about Dubai emirate. The App is packed with other features such as displaying key landmarks of the UAE, UAE map updates, illustrating the locations of metro, tram, bus, public transport and marine transit modes stations in addition to bus stops in Dubai. The Smart Drive App also alerts motorists about the maximum driving speed and the traffic condition in Dubai roads, among other features that ensure safe & smooth trips for motorists thanks to the innovative technologies which renders such journeys safe and smooth in a way meriting the App to clinch this award.
Speaking about the Road Users Education Award won by Drivers Training and Qualification Department at the Licensing Agency, Ahmed Bahrozyan, CEO of the RTA’s Licensing Agency, said: “The award is part of the Unified Syllabus for Training and Testing Light Vehicle Drivers Project in Dubai adopted by the Licensing Agency, which reflects RTA’s keenness on furthering the concept of safe driving in Dubai streets.” Bahrozyan pointed out to the efforts put by the Licensing Agency to further develop this concept since 2010, saying that the Licensing Agency had developed a unified syllabus applied in all driving institutes in Dubai comprising the theoretical test, raising the number of maneuvers from 3 to 5 in order to polish driving and vehicle control skills, adding 8 theoretical compulsory educative lectures, and updating the safe driving manuals by adding essential information to new drivers such as vehicle components, enhancing driving skills from the scratch until finally receiving driving licenses.
“These improvement steps have led to noticeable positive results by the end of 2014, such as reducing road accidents mortality rate (among drivers of less than one year experience) by 65% i.e. less than 1 death per 100,000 population, besides reducing road traffic injuries rate by up to 70% i.e. less than 10 injuries per 100,000 population,” continued Bahrozyan.
“Our revolutionary steps, added Bahrozyan, are not only limited to trainees, but also include instructors themselves who underwent high-level theoretical, stringent practical tests drawn from the Singaporean model which we used as a benchmark to realize our goal. Improvement measures also covered examiners at driving institutes who are also subjected to thorough tests as regards recruitment and training. Driving institutes themselves are subjected to performance indicators that ensure enhancing customers satisfaction in terms of training, service time and the waiting time. The assessment system of driving institutes is based on the standards of the European excellence model (EFQM), and the RTA will leave no stone unturned to achieve its vision of ‘Safe and Smooth Transport for all.” More info
