The Roads and Transport Authority of Dubai (RTA) has unveiled its smart yard initiative, a key phase of testing driver licence applicants. The yard is fitted with sophisticated technological devices and a testing vehicle that gives accurate and credible results.

Ahmed Bahrozyan, CEO of RTA Licensing Agency, said: “The smart yard is fitted with five surveillance cameras – four of them outside the vehicle to guide the examinee to the locations of the five manoeuvres (movements). The fifth camera is fitted on board the test vehicle to verify the identity of the driver during the test. The vehicle is equipped with more than 20 sensors to help the examinee avoid collision in case of approaching any obstacle.

“The yard is fitted with sensors that automatically transmit images of the test once the vehicle passes through them to a processor that spots mistakes made by the driver. The captured images are then transmitted to an interactive screen in a control tower installed in the testing yard where a staff will retrieve results and use them in the assessment of the examinee.

Advantages of smart yard

> The examiner can monitor more than one examinee at a time, which means reducing the number of examiners by as much as 35 per cent

> It will enable handling more applicants and accordingly reducing the waiting lists

> Complaints of some examinees that their test results are impacted by perceptions of controversial mistakes on the part of examiners can be eliminated