Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Permanent Committee for Labour Affairs in Dubai to promote the traffic awareness efforts and coordinate traffic safety events. Eng. Maitha bin Adai, CEO of RTA’s Traffic and Roads Agency, and Major General Obaid Muhair bin Sorour, Deputy Director of the General Administration of Residency and Foreigners Affairs in Dubai and Chairman of the Permanent Committee for Workers Affairs, signed the MoU.

“The signing of the MoU is an important step towards integrating efforts and sharing expertise with public and private entities. Our aim is to realise RTA’s traffic awareness strategy and reduce traffic-related injuries & deaths among workers and pedestrians. 27% of those working in economic sectors are workers, and as such, they form an important segment in the traffic safety indicators in Dubai,” said Maitha.

“Under the MoU, we will share information related to traffic awareness among workers, and discuss initiatives and events to enhance workers’ traffic awareness. We will focus on measures to curb run-over accidents at hotspots that recorded the highest fatality relates among pedestrians over the past three years such as the Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, Emirates Road, and Jebel Ali Zone 1.”

“The Traffic and Roads Agency, in cooperation with partners, has succeeded in reducing pedestrian fatalities from 59 cases in 2016 to 48 cases in 2017.

Up to November 2018, cases reported were not more than 36. About 17 awareness events were carried out last year at workers residential areas such as Jebel Ali, Sinapur, Al Qouz and Muhaisina. Awareness messages were sent via social media to alert motorists about the risks of run-over accidents. The Agency has also improved safety means based on scientific and field studies. It has built 113 footbridges including 9 in 2018 and plans are set to increase the number to 167 by 2023.

“Preparations have started for the first initiative with the Permanent Committee for Labour Affairs. A short educative movie will be produced to sensitise workers about pedestrians traffic safety rules focusing on the risks of crossing at hotspots. We will coordinate with the Ministry of Health to show the film across screens of the Medical Fitness Centers visited by workers for visa renewal,” concluded Maitha.

 “It is important to work with government bodies towards protecting the safety of community members and educating them about the importance of complying with the traffic safety rules. RTA has made considerable efforts in providing high-quality pedestrian bridges in Dubai, which have reduced pedestrian fatalities among population including workers,” said Major General Obaid Muhair bin Sorour. 

“We in the Permanent Committee for Labour Affairs are keen on addressing the safety and security of all workers in Dubai. We always seek to give them proper education to enhance their compliance with the applicable rules in the Emirate. So, we are pleased to sign this MoU with RTA with which we share the same objectives of the Dubai Government,” added Obaid. 

He praised the technical and educative traffic safety projects undertaken by RTA over the past years in building pedestrian crossings, providing smart devices at traffic junctions and dedicated tracks for bicycles. These initiatives have had a clear impact on the safety of workers and contributed to reducing the cases of run-over accident and pedestrian fatalities,” added Obaid.