Dubai, Aug.7th,2007 (WAM) -- Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) stressed today the importance of simplifying the procedures of visitorsreporting to Licensing Department at Traffic and Roads Agency.

Minimizing the time taken to deliver all services to the public,and processing their cases in a record time, in line with the best international practices is needed.

''It is vital to implement the principle of decentralization in deliveringservices to visitors such that the procedures of processing cases relatedto payment of traffic fines will be simplified and completed easily andsmoothly by the concerned employees. Equally important is the developmentof an archive and indexing system to facilitate data retrieval on demand,intensify the application of modern technology to establish a databaseof traffic information in the event of inquiry by phone or over the internet'Al Tayer stated.

The above statement was made during an inspection tour made by Al Tayerto the Main Building of Licensing Department in Deira, and EPCO TasjeelCenter, Al Barsha.

During inspection of the facilities of EPCO Tasjeel Center, Al Tayer wasbriefed by engineer engineer Ali Al Jasim, Director of Licensing Department,on the progress of work in the Center,which provides services of vehicles testing, registration and renewalin addition to renewal, transfer and issue of ownership cards in replacementof a lost or damaged ones, and issue of vehicle number plates, in additionto other services all rendered under one ceiling in a comfortable locationprovided with a minimart, cafeteria, ladies waiting area, prayer room,ATM, insurance companies centers, printing kiosks, and carwash and oilchange services.

He pointed out that work is conducted in a comprehensivecomputerized system integrated with the traffic system to assist withsimplifying the applicable procedures and cutting short the steps of processingapplications in a secure, accurate and speedy environment.

Al Tayer reviewed the mechanism of vehicle testing from the momentof entering the test location, where testing covers lights, alignment,tires, brakes and oval brake shape, chassis, and exhaust in order to ascertainall safety components that contribute to road-worthiness of the vehicle.

He reviewed the procedures of printing a vehicle test certificate, electronicentering of insurance details, collection of technical testing and registrationfees, recovering fine related to offences, if any, issuing a single receiptdetailing all fees paid, receiving the old ownership card, and printingand delivering the new one.

Al Tayer also heeded to an explanation of insurance companies servicesand vehicle number plates factory which manufactures a vehicle numberplates in less than one minute. He also heard comments from visitors onthe services rendered by the Center, and inquired from them the speedof processing their applications, the applicable procedures and obstaclesconfronted in processing their requests.

He visited the Licensing Department at Deira, where he reviewed the sectionsof the department which include a licensing, driving licenses, and commerciallicensing. He reviewed the technical aspects and application proceduressuch as screens of scrutinizing vehicle licensing, drivers licensing,vehicle registration, owned and retained numbers, verification of personaldetails, codes, payment methods, vehicle details, and link with vehiclestesting and renewal.

During the visit to Licensing Section, he reviewed the statistics relatedto the number of registered and renewed vehicle in the first half of thecurrent year which reached 195,341 vehicles including 132,054 renewalcases and 63,287 registered vehicles. He also reviewed the statisticsof licenses issued during the first half of this year which amounted to36,251 licenses including 22,949 newly issued driving licenses and 13,302renewed driving licenses.

Al Tayer was then briefed on the plans of Licensing Department to expandthe number of subsidiary centers. A center was opened to provide servicesof Licensing Department (Drivers Licensing Center) in the building ofT-Com, at the Knowledge Village, Al Saffouh area. This comes as part ofthe drive to increase the number of specialized centers to provide servicesof Licensing Department, particularly drivers licensing due to the largenumber of visitors.

It will also contribute to easing the heavy pressure resulting from theincreased numbers of visitors of Al Barsha and Al Qusais Centers.

Al Tayer directed the individuals in charge of Licensing Department todevelop vehicle technical testing regime through utilizing the expertiseof the advanced countries, and the best international standards. He stressedthe importance of achieving excellent services to the public through cuttingshort the process time and simplifying procedures.