Dubai: Road fatalities in Dubai have seen a significant reduction, decreasing from 21.7 per 100,000 people in 2007 to 1.8 in 2024. Mattar Al Tayer, Director General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors at the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), and Lieutenant General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, recently met to discuss strengthening collaboration in traffic safety and transport security. They reviewed the progress of the Dubai Traffic Safety Strategy 2022-2026, focusing on road safety performance indicators for 2024 and the establishment of a Personal Mobility Monitoring Unit, including a registration framework for electric scooters.
According to Emirates News Agency, Mattar Al Tayer highlighted the strategic partnership between RTA and Dubai Police, which facilitated the successful execution of 53 initiatives and programs in 2024, significantly contributing to the reduction in road fatalities. He emphasized the importance of maintaining efforts to achieve the goals of the Dubai Traffic Safety Strategy 2022-2026 and its ‘Zero Fatalities’ vision, aiming to establish Dubai as a global benchmark for road safety. RTA remains committed to enhancing safety across public transport and personal mobility services while developing educational platforms for road users.
Lieutenant General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri commended the partnership with RTA, noting the joint efforts to enhance safety and security for Dubai’s citizens, residents, and visitors. He confirmed that the implementation of the Dubai Traffic Safety Strategy led to a reduction of over 90% in traffic fatalities from 2007 to 2024. Awareness campaigns have played a critical role, with targeted messaging reaching over 255,000 people, and educational videos gaining more than 117 million views.
The meeting also addressed enforcement measures aimed at improving compliance. Authorities recorded over 145,000 violations involving delivery motorcycles and nearly 40,000 involving bicycles and e-scooters, while around 60,000 pedestrian violations were registered. Approximately 24,000 vehicles, nearly 4,000 delivery motorcycles, and more than 54,000 personal mobility devices were impounded.
Participants discussed the 53 initiatives under the Dubai Traffic Safety Strategy, covering road and vehicle engineering, systems and management, traffic awareness, and enforcement. Performance indicators highlighted the decrease in road fatalities and serious injuries, as well as the reduction in death rates per registered vehicles.
The meeting also examined initiatives to improve road safety, including the assessment of high-risk locations, the installation of raised pedestrian crossings, and upgrades to enhance safety for soft mobility users. Efforts to develop a smart management system for public transport drivers are also underway.
Joint efforts included site visits, workshops, and awareness campaigns targeting delivery riders and pedestrians, engaging thousands of individuals. Under the systems and management pillar, Dubai introduced regulations for autonomous vehicles and upgraded incident location tracking systems.
The meeting explored opportunities to strengthen enforcement and awareness campaigns targeting truck and motorcycle drivers. Trucks account for about 30% of traffic on major roads, while motorcycles represent 4% of registered vehicles. Plans to monitor compliance with truck movement restrictions and enhance delivery operations frameworks were discussed.
The rise in personal mobility devices was also addressed, with increases in bicycle and e-scooter trips. A dedicated Personal Mobility Monitoring Unit will be established to oversee compliance and regulate traffic on cycling lanes.
RTA presented its Roads and Transport Plan 2030, focusing on road infrastructure, transport policy, public transport development, and smart traffic systems. Key projects include upgrades to major corridors, improvements in traffic flow policies, and the expansion of public transport infrastructure and smart traffic systems.