Touch-screen exam for driving licence in Sharjah

Lieutenant-Colonel Arif Mohamed Al Shamsi, Director of the Traffic and Licensing Department, said at a press conference on Tuesday that it is a first-of-its-kind service in the UAE and is designed make it easy for applicants.

The touch-screen machines have been installed at driving institutes. People can go to the police website — shjpolice.gov.ae — and take the 
examination.

The theoretical examination features 20 questions, including 13 questions on traffic signals and seven on international signs. The applicants will have to only touch the correct answer on the computer screen.

Lt-Colonel Al Shamsi said the department is upgrading the electronic service to allow applicants to fix an appointment via the police website. Once the project is completed, applicants will be able to choose the date and time when they want to sit for the theoretical examination.

The service also has provision for truck drivers to apply for special permission to pass through certain city roads on where trucks are banned from 5.30am to 9am and from 12.30pm 
to 3pm.

They will merely have to visit the police website and click on a link, where they will have to fill up a form in either Arabic or English.

The police plan to introduce forms in more languages.

Once the application is received, the police will review the application and send it over to the department concerned for final approval. The driver will then receive an SMS on their mobile phone confirming that their application has been approved.

Lieutenant-Colonel Khalid bin Hindi, Director of the IT Department at the Sharjah Police, said more manual transactions at the Traffic and Licensing Department would be changed 
into electronic.