Ras Al Khaimah: The Traffic and Licensing Department is planning an overhaul of driver training as the authorities are unhappy with private driving schools' performance, according to a senior official.

Colonel Hassan Rashid Al Braiki, the department's deputy director, thinks these schools do not train new learners the right way.

"A final decision is to be made shortly to implement one of three possible options," Col Al Braiki said.

He said that the authorities are thinking of entrusting the training with either an official body of the Emirates Transport Authority or a new professionally run private company

He said that the third option under study was to add the field and practical training of aspiring drivers to the responsibilities of the RAK Driving Academy whose job is now limited to theory.

Col Al Braiki said that under no circumstances could the existing driving schools, including those that train women, be spared if the traffic conditions in the emirate are to improve.

"Those schools introduce ignorant drivers who not only harm themselves but harm the entire society," he said.

"The emirate-based driving schools do not really teach would-be-drivers the actual driving rules and that has made the bad traffic situation in the emirate even worse," he said.

"New drivers should be introduced to the idea of driving before they get into the vehicles for field and practical training."

Ras Al Khaimah has been witnessing a dramatic increase in road accidents and related casualties with 49 deaths in road crashes reported since the beginning of the year, said Colonel Al Braiki.

"The general traffic situation in Ras Al Khaimah has been put on review to find out the reasons and come up with precautionary measures," he said.

"I personally support the idea of suspending the work of the emirate's driving schools to be replaced by other institutes to be run by a private company or a public department."

Commenting on the department's decision to refer all pending applications for driving licences to RAK Driving Academy, Colonel Al Braiki said the decision was taken following the high failure rate of learners at tests. The new learners and even those who opened their files before the Academy was set up will attend its sessions to acquire a theoretical knowledge of driving.

He underlined the importance of the instruction in theory offered at the Academy and said all learners, irrespective of the status of their instruction or regardless of their nationalities, would have to get themselves registered with the academy and pass its relevant exams before they are given appointments for field tests.

Learners of all vehicles including motorcycles will be covered by the decision, he said.

Col Al Braiki said that the majority of learners repeatedly failed in field tests, and the theory sessions should benefit them.