DUBAI // Traffic management units will be set up to monitor and clear stretches of busy Dubai motorways prone to collisions as part of a joint operation between police and transport authorities, which could save the emirate billions of dirhams annually.
The units will begin working on a trial basis in sections of Sheikh Zayed Road, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road and a 100km-long stretch of the Dubai–Al Ain Road, the Roads and Transport Authority said on Wednesday.
The work of the units will be assessed over a period of one to two years, the RTA added.
The proposed units are to provide support during crashes, quickly clear vehicles involved in traffic incidents and remove vehicles that have broken down and are impeding the flow of traffic.
The units also aim to prevent secondary accidents and help streamline traffic flow at crash sites and on surrounding roads.
Commonly congested areas were pinpointed by Maj Gen Khamis Al Muzaina, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, during a meeting.
The RTA then provided information on the solutions it was working on to tackle the tailbacks.
A report submitted by consultants to assess the likely impact of the project in Dubai was also discussed.
The study estimated the cost of congestion in the emirate at Dh3.5 billion annually, with Dh1.8bn blamed on tailbacks triggered by crashes.
The study showed that heavy traffic due to crashes accounted for up to 51 per cent of the total cost of congestion. This rate is 25 per cent in countries with advanced traffic management such as Singapore, the US and UK.
During the Gulf Traffic Week, which ends today, the RTA has been hosting campaigns in Dubai schools and hospitals under the theme “Your decision determines your fate”.
Officials focused on studies that showed that 80 per cent of collisions occurred because of a lapse in concentration three seconds before a crash.
Among the main reasons for crashes in Dubai over the past two years were veering of vehicles and drivers’ failure to maintain a safe braking distance.
If cruise control were to malfunction, officials said motorists should shift gear to neutral and use the brakes.
In a separate meeting, Dubai’s Traffic Police rejected a proposal to cut the cost of traffic fines on the grounds that when they were reduced before, the number of crashes and road deaths increased.
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