Coming soon: pay road tolls on an iPhone

DUBAI // Motorists will be able to renew their driving licences at vision-testing centres and use iPhones to pay tolls and traffic fines.

The services, likely to be available next year, aim to provide commuters with more options and avoid trips to Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) customer centres. Four eye-test centres in Dubai will be shortlisted by early next year, Ahmed Bahrozyan, the RTA licensing agency chief executive, said yesterday.

"We must have certain high standards in place so we will look at the quality of the centre and the companies with the biggest coverage," he said.

Setting up vision testing centres to function as one-stop shops is in line with another recent policy change. In September, the RTA granted permission to authorised insurance companies to process vehicle registrations and renewals.

"It picks up from our service of insurance companies completing vehicle registration formalities at no extra cost," said Abdulla Ali al Madani, the RTA chief executive of corporate technical support services.

Once the driver passes the test, the eye centres will process the licence renewal with the RTA and the new card will be delivered by courier.

An iPhone "app" is being completed allowing drivers to pay road tolls through the Salik system as well as other fees.

rtalwar@thenational.ae