17 Mar March 17, 2016 Standardization authority will classify garages across the UAE according to their standards and expertise ESMA works on regulations that will set a minimum requirement in terms of skills of mechanics and service standards for a workshop to operate, according to ESMA’s director-general Abdullah Al Muaini. They will first look at the level of the standards at the workshops to check if they meet the minimum requirements. If not, they will give them a grace period to improve their service. In the next stage, the workshops will be categorized according to the type of service they offer, such as AC repair, tyre service, bodywork, engine work, etc. All workshops across the country will get categorized and certified; ESMA will examine and certify the mechanics working at these workshops and the equipment. All the information about the workshops will be published on a common portal and motorists will be able to access the information to look for the best workshops. Al Muaini said that the workshops will be linked to auto insurance firms and in case of an accident motorists will be able to see where their vehicles are being repaired and what is the standard of service at a particular workshop. “Our idea is to offer transparency to the consumers and fair play for all. Consumers should be able to decide where they want the repair work to be done,” he added. He said the regulations and the system will be ready by the end of this year, when they will be sent to the Cabinet for approval. “Once approved, the system will be implemented in stages, so that the workshops have enough time to meet our standards,” he said. The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is also carrying out its own study on regulating the auto industry in Dubai. “We are going ahead with our study and our preparation to have auto workshops regulated. We are aware of ESMA’s initiative and we would be happy to coordinate with them on either having a single system for the entire country or linking our system to theirs,” said Ahmad Hashem Behroozian, CEO of RTA’s Licensing Agency. Source: GN
