Taxi tailgaters are in for a big surprise hitting their car radios soon.
Aiming to protect the lives of road users, especially their taxi drivers, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has revealed that Dubai taxis will be broadcasting messages to tailgaters on their radio asking them to back off.
The RTA in partnership with Arabian Radio Network (ARN) has created a device called ‘Back off Radio’, which will alert drivers when they are too close to the taxi in front.
The device will activate sensors in the front and back of the Taxi once the speed reaches 60kph. If a vehicle approaching a taxi breaches the safety zone, they will receive a message through their own radio.
This safety message will tell the driver to back away from the vehicle in front and to remember to keep a safe distance as it could be carrying a friend or loved one, said Dr Yousif Al Ali, CEO of RTA’s Public Transport Agency.
Furthermore, A safety message will also be sent to the taxi driver if he tries to tailgate other cars on the road.
In its testing phase a number of taxis will be fitted with the device. It will later be implemented across all taxis in Dubai after it efficiency has been assessed.
