Emirates
24/7, Wednesday, Nov 23, 2016 | Safar 23, 1438
RTA launches trial run of Smart
Yard for driver tests during Innovation Week
During the events of the UAE Innovation Week (20-26 Nov 2016), the Roads and
Transport Authority (RTA) unleashed the Smart Yard initiative; one of the key
testing phases of testing driver license applicants.
The Yard is fitted with sophisticated technological devices and a testing
vehicle; which contributes to highly accurate and credible results.
“Innovation has become a standard practice & style characterizing RTA projects
and initiatives, and the Smart Yard is part of this innovative trend adopted by
the RTA,” said Ahmed Bahrozyan, CEO of RTA Licensing Agency.
“The Test Yard is fitted with five surveillance cameras; four of them outside
the vehicle to guide the examinee to the locations of the five maneuvers
(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,” added the CEO
of Licensing Agency.
It is a common practice that the examinee undergoes three types of tests;
theoretical knowledge test, yard test, and road test.
The yard test has five components: parallel parking, roadside parking (60
degrees inclination), garage parking, slope (hill), and sudden braking.
Among the advantages of the smart testing yard is that the examiner can monitor
more than one examinee at a time; which translates into reducing the number of
examiners by as much as 35% from the current levels.
It will also enable handling more visitors and accordingly reducing the waiting
lists; a challenge we should be able to overcome through this smart testing.
“The Smart Yard initiative will also help us address another issue. Some
examinees complaint that their test results are impacted by the different
viewpoints and perceptions of controversial mistakes on the part of examiners.
This issue can be eliminated under this new model as technology is always
neutral and results generated cannot be disputed,” commented Bahrozyan.