Maximum speed limit on Dubai-Al Ain highway cut

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) for Dubai has announced a change in the speed limit on a stretch of route E66 in wake of the recent spate of accidents on the highway.

The Dubai-Al Ain Road will see its maximum speed limit drop from the current 120 kilometers per hour to 100kmph, effective April 1.

The RTA made the announcement via its official social media account on Twitter, stating further, the change in speed limit will only affect a particular stretch of the busy highway.

The authority stated: “RTA has decided to reduce the maximum speed on a sector of Dubai-Al Ain Road stretching from Emirates Road Interchange to Bu Kadrah Interchange from 120 km/h to 100 km/h starting from April 1, 2015.”

The RTA continued: “The decision to lower the speed on this sector of Dubai-Al Ain Road was driven by the need to maintain public safety and reduce accidents.”

In a recent report by Emirates 24|7, the Dubai-Al Ain stretch was highlighted as one of the most ‘fatal zones’ in terms of traffic accidents, recording 11 accidents where the Dubai Police Air Rescue Section had to be called in for assistance.

A recent study that pegged financial losses from traffic jams at Dh3.5 billion annually in the emirate, prompted the RTA and the Dubai Police to establish a Traffic Accidents Management Unit to provide traffic support during crashes, ensure rapid clearance of vehicles involved in minor traffic accidents, ease congestion and streamline traffic flow at crash sites and surrounding roads.

Major-General Khamis Mattar Al Mazeina, Commander-in-Chief of the Dubai Police, said in a statement: “A trial application of the Traffic Accidents Management Unit in sectors of the Shaikh Zayed Road, Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed road and the 100km-long sector of the Dubai-Al Ain road will soon begin.”

Last week, a major accident was reported on E66 where a black SUV has made impact with the central median on the highway and flipped over onto its side.

In February, a six-vehicle crash was reported on the busy stretch with a SUV flipped over on its side.
 

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.