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.