Dubai to build 19 rest stops to boost lorry drivers' safety

Lay-bys will provide drivers with vital services prioritising safety and well-being

The RTA is to develop rest stops and lay-bys to boost the safety of lorry drivers. Wam

Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is embarking on a major drive to build 19 advanced rest stops and lay-bys at various roadside locations in partnership with the private sector.

The project includes the development of three Integrated Truck Lay-bys, one in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) and two with Almutakamela Vehicle Testing and Registration.

In co-operation with Adnoc, the RTA will also establish 16 stops across Dubai in key locations where there is a significant influx of lorries daily. Thes include Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, Emirates Road, Dubai-Hatta Road, Dubai-Al Ain Road, Jebel Ali – Lehbab Road and Al Aweer Road.

The total area of all the proposed rest stops and lay-bys will surpass 300,000 square metres, with the capacity to accommodate more than 1,000 heavy vehicles.

When completed, the three Integrated Truck Lay-bys will provide drivers with essential services that prioritise safety and well-being.

These encompass diesel-refuelling stations, motels, maintenance workshops, restaurants, administrative buildings, prayer rooms, driving training centres, clinics, pharmacies, exchange shops, laundry centres and various other support services dedicated to the welfare of heavy vehicle drivers.

The rest stops themselves will offer service facilities, prayer rooms, diesel refuelling stations, restaurants, maintenance workshops and rest areas for drivers.

"The construction of trucks rest stops and lay-bys contributes significantly to improving traffic safety, reducing truck-related accidents by up to 50 per cent, streamlining the traffic flow during truck ban times, increasing traffic awareness of truck drivers about traffic rules, and resolving the problem of parking trucks on main roads and residential areas," said Mattar Al Tayer, the RTA's director general.

"The project provides convenient facilities for truck drivers, especially during the ban timings on trucks movement on some roads, and meets the increasing demand for truck parking spaces, especially given the huge rise in the number of truck trips in Dubai to more than 300,000 trips per day lifting 1.5 metric tonnes of commodities per day,”

Each of the three Integrated Truck Lay-bys will occupy a total combined space exceeding 226,000 square metres. Capacity will range from 120 to 200 trucks and heavy vehicles.

One lay-by managed by Almutakamela Vehicle Testing and Registration will be on Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, near Jebel Ali Free Zone and Al Maktoum International Airport. It will cover 100,000 square metres, with a capacity to accommodate up to 200 lorries.

The second lay-by, run by Adnoc, will be near Emirates Road, next to the Al Tayy Racetrack. Covering an area of 76,000 square metres, it will accommodate 150 lorries s.

The third, also managed by Almutakamela, will be built near the entrance to Dubai Industrial City, taking up 51,000 square metres and accommodating about 120 lorries.