SNTTA, Automobile & Touring Club join hands to issue legitimate permits to motorists
DUBAI: A leading motoring association has warned UAE residents and visitors against acquiring counterfeit international driving permits (IDPs), pointing out that motorists involved in accidents while driving abroad would find their insurance invalid and could land themselves in long-drawn legal problems as a result.
Launching a campaign aimed at increasing awareness about fake international driving permits, the Automobile & Touring Club for the United Arab Emirates (ATCUAE) said that motorists, using unauthorized agents to gain such a permit, would face severe penalties such as hefty fines and lengthy jail terms.
Authentic IDPs enable a person with a valid driver's license to drive in foreign countries that have signed the 1949 United Nations Road Traffic Convention. In the UAE, only the ATCUAE has been authorized by the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) to issue international driving permits or IDPs.
"Around the world, hundreds of thousands of innocent travelers spend a great deal of money to buy an international permit without investigating the credentials of the agency selling it to them," said ATCUAE President Mohammed Ben Sulayem. "This is causing many unlicensed motorists to drive on roads, endangering the lives of other people."
Ben Sulayem was speaking on the occasion of the ATCUAE entering into an agreement with the Sharjah National Travel & Tourist Agency (SNTTA), a leading travel and tourism company in the UAE. As per the agreement, motorists in the UAE can obtain legitimate driving permits from SNTTA and the ATCUAE for a reasonable sum of AED 100 in a minimum 10-15 minutes.
The ATCUAE is an affiliated member and sole representative in the UAE of the FIA, which as consultative status in the United Nations and maintains a worldwide organization, through its members, to uphold the international interests of automobile mobility and motor sports.
Sheikh Khalid Al Qassimi, Chairman of the Dubai-based Liberty Investment Group (LIC), the holding company for SNTTA, said that the new development would check the fraudulent methods of local agents and online websites who sold illegal permits to unsuspecting customers.
"Our duty is to inform and protect motorists from these illegal practices and its implications, while providing them with a safe method of driving abroad with total confidence," Sheikh Khalid said. "Both SNTTA and ATCUAE have launched this initiative with the complete support of the UAE government to generate awareness about using valid driving permits. We are proud to be the first private company to have come forward to support this move."
To obtain an international driving permit, UAE applicants must submit copies of their passport and UAE driving license along with two photographs. SNTTA has installed a special desk to assist applicants with their requirements and ensure that the process is a smooth and hassle-free experience.
The IDP is a simple booklet that translates a consumer's government-issued driver's license into different languages. It is not a substitute for a valid, government-issued license, and cannot be used in place of a suspended or revoked license or as a government-issued identification card.
"It is both reassuring and an honor that the SNTTA has undertaken to participate with us in the revised process of issue of the IDP. We look forward to a new era, where our citizens can travel abroad with confidence in the system, and enjoy the respect of the authorities of those countries in which he chooses to travel," said Ben Sulayem.
A campaign to make motorists aware of the existence of such forged documents and the implications involved is underway and by attacking the problem, the ATCUAE is confident of bringing the problem under control. The initiative has involved a review of the agents to be entrusted with the issue of the IDP's, a total revamping of the initial design of the permit itself, incorporating state of the art technology to prevent illegal duplication and revision of the entire administrative process.
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About SNTTA:
Sharjah National Travel and Tourist Agency (SNTTA) was established as a full service travel agency in 1975. It is a member of the Dubai-based Liberty Investment Company which is the holding company for the group. Zafar Imam is the General Manager of SNTTA. In 1999, SNTTA became the first travel company in the UAE to achieve the ISO-9001 certification. It is also a franchise partner in Sharjah of American Express Travel Services and a Loyalty Program Partner with Airmiles.
At present, SNTTA has eight travel offices in Sharjah, and other offices in Dubai and Northern Emirates, offering total travel solutions to retail and corporate clients. The SNTTA group employs over 300 staff in the UAE and is managed by a team of highly experienced professionals.
SNTTA Cargo was established in 1976 as a division of SNTTA. It ranked today among the leading freight-forwarding companies in the UAE and its activities include Air and Sea Freight Exports and Imports, door-to-door services, fairs & exhibitions, packing & removals, customs clearance, insurance and warehousing. SNTTA Cargo has longstanding partnerships as General Sales Agent of several leading international airlines. Abdul Qadeer Mian is the General Manager of SNTTA Cargo.
About the ATCUAE:
The Automobile & Touring Club for the UAE has been an affiliated member of the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the world governing body of all motorsports, since 1965. The ATCUAE is the only organization authorized by the FIA to supervise motor sport events and issue competitor licenses in the UAE.
It is also the only FIA authorized organization in the UAE to issue International Driving Licenses, as well as Carnet De Passage en Douane (Trip Tickets) and International Certificates which simplify customs formalities for motoring tourists and travelers. The ATCUAE, which has offices in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Al Ain, has been an affiliated member of Alliance Internationale de Tourisme (AIT) since 1973. The AIT is the leading and most successful international body concerned with motoring, touring road assistance services and outdoor leisure.
For more information, please contact:
Edward D'Mello Nabila Bouzouina
Headline Public Relations
P. O. Box: 64349,
Dubai
Tel: 04 - 2289655;
Fax: 04 - 2282125;
Email: edward@headlinepr.com
Press Release 2006
