New charge poised to penalise careless drivers

NEW CHARGE: Motorists who cause minor accidents will soon be handed a 500 dirham charge. (Getty Images)

Causing minor accidents could soon cost motorists in the UAE as authorities prepare to bring in a new charge, it was announced on Tuesday.

The 500 dirham charge, which will be brought in by the end of the year, will be levied on careless drivers in and around Abu Dhabi who cause shunts on the country's roads, a senior police official said.

The money will go to Saaed, a private company which has been outsourced by the Abu Dhabi Police to handle minor accidents, UAE daily Gulf News reported on Tuesday.

Major Hussain Ahmad Al Harthi, director of the Traffic Engineering and Road Safety department at the Traffic and Patrolling Directorate of the police, said: "The charges are being introduced in a bid to curb accidents and improve the emergency services offered by the police".

The emirate alone witnesses a massive 95,000 minor accidents annually, according to official statistics.

"If the emergency services and patrols are free from the headache of attending to the large number of petty accidents then they can focus better on bigger accidents and other areas that require their attention such as crimes", Al Harthi said.

The charge would replace any other payment drivers have to make to insurance companies.

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