Dubai’s Road & Transport Authority (RTA) has revealed that it has managed to register 1,684 trailers under its new system during the period from its implementation in February through to the end of July.
But it seems that not all trailers on the emirate’s roads are up to the task. Faults discovered by RTA inspectors and examiners included serious tyre defects, body cracks, defects in connections between tractors and trailers, defects in the air pressure connections of the brake systems, and poor side and rear lighting of trailers.
Trailers have been classified into 15 types, including flatbed trailers, surface trailers and side-curtain trailers. Trailer testing and registration service is currently available at three centres – namely ENOC, Tamam Al Ghandi, and Al Shirawi Center, said RTA board chairman HE Mattar Al Tayer.
Al Tayer indicated that the number of trailers (chassis) registered during the same period hit 2,259, adding that the number is expected to rise to as many as 3,700 trailers by the end of this year. It is estimated that there are up to 60,000 trailers in Dubai.
“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,” said Al Tayer.
“The current situation contributed to accidents of stealing trailers rendering 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) in their chassis.”
Consideration is currently being given to implementing the inspection regime on a federal level across the UAE.
“Trailers and semi-trailer 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,” said the RTA chairman.
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