Delivery riders will have to complete longer and more varied training to obtain a licence under a new safety campaign launched by Dubai Police, in conjunction with the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).
Dubai Police said 31 bikers were killed and 253 injured in motorbike accidents last year.
The figures were revealed by Dubai Police during the launch of the safety drive that aims to ensure bikers are safer on the emirate’s roads after a sharp rise in the number of crashes involving motorbikes.
As part of their training, delivery bikers will train to drive at night under several scenarios designed to simulate day-to-day situations they face on the job
Abdulla Yousef Al Ali,
RTA
“Twenty-two of the dead were found to be responsible of causing the accidents,” said Col Juma Salim bin Suwaidan, acting director of the General Department of Traffic at Dubai Police.
“Three more deaths and 47 injures were recorded in the first two months of 2022.”
Police said 20,312 motorbike riders were caught breaking traffic rules last year and 880 bikes were confiscated.
Among the most common offences were overtaking from the hard shoulder, sudden swerving, incorrect parking, parking on the pavement and failure to stay in mandatory lanes.
Officials said the number of traffic offences by delivery bikers had increased amid a surge in demand for online food delivery during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We expect a similar increase for food delivery orders during the holy month of Ramadan, which is why we are intensifying awareness to ensure compliance with traffic rules,” said Col bin Suwaidan.
Under the new scheme, delivery riders will have to complete 20 hours of training before applying for a licence, up from the current 15-hour requirement.
In addition, they will have to undergo a minimum of two hours night training as part of the upgraded requirements for licensing.
“Most motorbike accidents happen at night. As part of their training, delivery bikers will train to drive at night under several scenarios designed to simulate day-to-day situations they face on the job,” said Abdulla Yousef Al Ali, chief executive of Licensing Agency, RTA.
Bikers will also be trained on how to drive amid distractions, such as locating a customer on the app or receiving notifications from the delivery company.
As part of the training, a delivery box is added to the motorbike to show riders how to maintain balance and place the order in the carriage correctly.
“The changes only apply for riders seeking to obtain a motorbike licence to work in the delivery sector,” said Mr Al Ali.
“Delivery riders applying for a motorbike licence are usually referred to driving institutes through the delivery company or the employer. That’s how we differentiate between employees working in the delivery sector and other riders applying for a motorbike licence.”
To increase road safety among licensed delivery riders, 10,500 have received additional training as part of collaboration between delivery companies and driving institutes in Dubai, Mr Al Ali said.
More workshops will be held to accommodate more delivery in the near future.
“Delivery companies can co-ordinate with driving institutes to upgrade the training of their staff as per the new requirements,” he said.
RTA and Dubai Police said 85 virtual and in-person awareness lectures have been held for 12,000 licensed delivery riders so far.
Increased safety checks will also continue to ensure compliance with traffic rules.
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Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
ACL Elite (West) - fixtures
Monday, Sept 30
Al Sadd v Esteghlal (8pm)
Persepolis v Pakhtakor (8pm)
Al Wasl v Al Ahli (8pm)
Al Nassr v Al Rayyan (10pm)
Tuesday, Oct 1
Al Hilal v Al Shorta (10pm)
Al Gharafa v Al Ain (10pm)
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Allardyce's management career
Clubs (10) - Limerick (1991-1992), Perston North End (1992), Blackpool (1994-1996), Notts County (1997-1999), Bolton Wanderers (1999-2007), Newcastle United (2007-2008), Blackburn Rovers (2008-2010), West Ham United (2011-2015), Sunderland (2016), Crystal Palace (2016-2017)
Countries (1) - England (2016)
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
One in nine do not have enough to eat
Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.
One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.
The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.
Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.
It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.
On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.
Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
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Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
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Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
