Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is set to make telematics devices mandatory for heavy vehicles, it said in a statement.
The project, which would make connected data-collection devices compulsory in larger trucks and lorries, is part of a national strategy aimed at reducing accidents caused by heavy vehicles.
“We have embarked on developing an integrated system and technological applications enabling us to monitor and analyse data pertaining to faults sustained by heavy vehicles,” said Ahmed Bahrozyan, CEO of RTA’s Licensing Agency.
“The Vehicle Defect Clearing System (VDCS) is a service intended to improve the monitoring of heavy vehicles in Dubai through fitting them with mandatory telematics in order to track their defects and monitor driver attitudes.”
Bahrozyan added that the RTA is in the final stages of setting up a smart monitoring centre fitted with monitors and systems linked with the devices fixed on heavy vehicles. The centre will communicate with the RTA’s road patrols to identify violating vehicles.
Through stricter monitoring, the project aims to minimise the financial, human and environmental impacts of heavy truck violations.
In addition, the RTA is also rolling out a mechanism to calculate the risk rating for vehicles using data provided by technical inspections, the remote detection of faults, and the annual technical inspection.
Vehicles are awarded a rating of zero for no faults detected during an inspection. Meanwhile, non-compliant vehicles will be given points for each fault, and a final rating out of ten will be assigned.
