Night driving classes to be made mandatory in Dubai

Dubai: New learner drivers will now have to take night classes to improve their driving skills, said a senior official.
"The night classes at all the major driving institutes have already been started and all the new learner drivers will have to take a few classes at night," said Ali Mohammad Al Jasem, Director of the Licensing Department at the Licensing Agency of the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).
He said the night classes would be made mandatory for all new drivers.
"We want to make new drivers familiar with different driving conditions to make them safe drivers," he said.
Al Jasem said that the decision to start night driving classes from 7 to 11pm was taken after a successful one-month pilot project in January. But he said there are certain conditions apply.

New drivers must first take day classes and then take a few night classes.
A spokesperson for the Emirates Driving Institute said they have received favourable response from new driving students. "We have already trained some driving instructors to train learner drivers at night and it's being received positively," she said.
She explained that if a new driver takes a 40-class course, he or she will be allowed to take night classes only after completing at least 32 classes during day time.
For a 20-class course, he or she will be allowed to take night classes after 16 day time classes.
Al Jasem, the new driving manual has already been introduced in the driving schools.
"Now the drivers have to go through different training courses suiting their professional needs. Drivers for school buses have to pass additional training courses while truck and bus drivers will also go through the additional training sessions," he added.
He said they have reduced the waiting time for customers at their customer centres by 40 per cent and it will fall further when online services begin. Exams are taken in two to four weeks.