New law stops UAE's small buses from speeding

All buses carrying 22 or more passengers will have to be fitted with devices limiting their speed to 100kph under new regulations.

All buses carrying 22 or fewer passengers must be fitted with devices that limit speed to 100kph.

The new regulations are being implemented by the Ministry of Interior and are effective immediately.

They apply to all emirates and all such buses, whether public or privately owned.

Owners of the vehicles will be required to prove they have installed the devices when re-registering their vehicles. Seats that fold into the aisle of the bus will also be banned.

If successful, the initiative could be expanded to include lorries and other heavy vehicles.

The Ministry of Interior hopes the use of the limiters will help cut road deaths and, in association with the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology, has approved models made by Autograde International Freezone LLC, which will be made available to auto dealers for sale to the public.

The device costs about Dh1,200, including instalment and a one-year warranty.

Once fitted, the device controls the amount of fuel fed to the vehicle's engine. When the speed rises above 100kph, a sensor will decrease the fuel supply, which causes the vehicle to slow down.

Lt Omran Abdullah Al Hammadi, of Dubai Police's Traffic Department, said most accidents caused by buses were due to speeding. "I hope this will decrease the number of accidents and deaths on the road," he said.

Mohamed Ashraf, the managing director at Autograde International, said the limiter would give drivers greater control over their vehicle, cut road fatalities and reduce fuel consumption.