The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai has rolled out a pre-appointment booking service for vehicle inspection through its smart app (RTA Dubai) and its official website (www.rta.ae). This new requirement will be mandatory at all inspection centers across the emirate starting June 2, 2025. For customers opting to walk in without a prior appointment, an optional service will be available at 19 centers for an additional fee of 100 dirhams.
Create an appointment for vehicle inspections is also available at eight other centers where the optional walk-in service will not be offered. These eight centers include: Wasel Al Arabi Center, Al Qusais, Al Aweer, Al Muhaisnah, Al Mamar, Al Maktoum, Al Zahir, and Al Taaweel.
The RTA has expanded this service following successful results from a pilot phase that took place from October last year, initially limited to the Al Qusais and Al Barsha registration centers.
This initiative aims to enhance the quality of this essential service, benefiting a wide range of residents and improving customer satisfaction among vehicle owners, ultimately reducing wait times for vehicle inspections.
Results from the six-month pilot program indicated a significant reduction in the waiting time for inspections at the Al Qusais and Al Barsha centers by approximately 46%. There was also a 15% decrease in the occupancy rate for actual vehicle inspection transactions compared to total available capacity.
Qais Al-Farsi, Director of Vehicle Licensing at the RTA, stated that the outcomes of the pilot program reflect a substantial improvement in reducing congestion within inspection centers, especially during peak hours, which had posed a significant challenge.
Al-Farsi further explained that the initiative is expected to offer several benefits across most vehicle inspection centers, notably saving time and effort for customers and lowering waiting times by around 40%. An improvement in occupancy rates is anticipated, particularly in centers where occupancy exceeded 80%.
He added that the RTA has mandated the pre-booking system for all types of customers and vehicles, although exceptions are made for people of determination and senior citizens registered in Dubai, who are not required to make prior appointments for any vehicle inspection services. This measure is part of the RTA’s commitment to ease service access for these two groups.
A total of 27 centers are now providing the pre-appointment booking service for vehicle inspections via the RTA smart app (RTA Dubai) or the official website, with the Hatta registration center excluded from this service.