The Scheme aims to ensure rapid deployment to clear vehicles involved in minor traffic accidents, or vehicles breakdown on roads in order to reduce traffic jam, streamline traffic flow in accident sites, cut short the time needed for removal vehicles involved in accidents, and avert the occurrence of secondary accidents resulting from sudden traffic jams. At the outset of the meeting, Al-Tayer hailed the fruitful cooperation between the RTA and Dubai Police, which culminated in launching several joint awareness campaigns, and stepping up coordination as to traffic enforcement in a way that reflects the strategic partnership between the two bodies.

"Traffic jams result in annual financial losses to the emirate of Dubai in the order of 4.6 billion dirham. According to surveys carried out by the RTA, there are several factors that contributing to traffic bottlenecks among which is the limited capacity of roads network. RTA Strategic Plan addresses this aspect through widening of various road projects, constructing new roads & traffic links, and increasing the number of lanes crossing Dubai Creek, which jumped from 19 at the time of establishing the RTA to 48 lanes in 2008, and is set to jump further to 100 by 2020. Traffic jams are also triggered by traffic accidents and vehicle breakdowns. Last year, the number of minor traffic accidents was as high as 261 thousand accidents and the number of vehicle breakdown is estimated as 250 thousand vehicles per annum. Tailbacks are also caused by the limited use of mass transit modes; which currently account for just 6% of total ridership, whereas this percentage ranges from 40 to 80% in advanced countries. Other contributing factors include attitudes of drivers, events & festivals, construction works, and traffic diversions.

"RTA also assessed the best global practices applicable in countries classified as advanced in traffic management, which introduced traffic accidents units, such as the UK, Sweden, Holland, New York and Australia. The roles of such units include rapid deployment to manage the sites of traffic accidents & nearby roads, handle minor accidents, clear vehicles involved in traffic accidents & broken down vehicles, reinstate traffic flow back to normal levels, assess losses inflicted to infrastructure, prepare reports, provide data to traffic control rooms, and collect accidents data" added the Al Tayer.

During the meeting a video presentation was made on Traffic Accidents Management Scheme; which is set to contribute, upon completion, to cutting accidents clearance time by 36 percent, reducing clearance time of immoderate accidents, which usually require more the 90 minutes, by a percentage ranging from 25 to 70 percent, and minimizing the occurrence of secondary accidents.

The two parties agreed to subject this issue to further study and research and to complete discussions in future meetings.

The meeting was attended from the RTA by engineer Maitha bin Adai, CEO of Traffic & Roads Agency, and Ahmed Hashim Bahrozyan, CEO of Licensing Agency. From Dubai Police attended Brigadier Mohammed Saif Al-Zaffin, Director of General Dep't of Traffic, and Brigadier Abdul-Jalil Mahdi, Deputy Director of the General Dep't of Preventive Security at the General Dep't of Criminal Investigations, in addition to several departmental directors from both the RTA & Dubai Police.