Dubai mulls over special licences for delivery bikers

Special licences for motorcyclists who ride for commercial purposes is under consideration, a Dubai Police officer said during a virtual road safety conference.

"A detailed study that's ongoing at the moment, which if approved, will see special licences issued for commercial riders - different from the usual bike riders. The force is making a concerted effort with the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) to issue such licences in the future," said Captain Salem Al Amimi at an online event organised by RoadSafetyUAE and facilities management company Serco Middle East.

He also shed light on the tough challenges of vulnerable motorcycle drivers, especially delivery boys, who ride with a heavyweight strapped across their shoulders. "During the movement restriction period, we registered 12 fatalities of delivery guys. There was no reason for these accidents as there was hardly any traffic. Sometimes they speed to make the deliveries as there were a lot of orders during the time.

"They have a package strapped on their back and they drive with it. If the weight inside shifts, they lose control, slide and end up hitting a wall or a barrier costing them their lives. Besides, the box on the back of their bikes are huge and if they are not cautious, they can miss vehicles coming from behind," added Capt Al Amimi.

Technology and innovation are critical in enhancing safety performance on roads, said Thomas Edelmann, founder and managing director, RoadSafetyUAE. "Technology can play a vital role in addressing the behaviour of motorcycle riders, in addition to licensing. If you have to drive a bus or a truck, you need a special licence as a commercial driver. We are pushing the same for motorcycle delivery riders because they too are commercial drivers."

nandini@khaleejtimes.com