When Sarfaraz, a delivery rider working with a food delivery company, read about the new rule banning motorcycles from using fast lanes in Dubai, his mind went straight back to one day last year when he had an accident while driving on the first lane of Al Khail Road.

Starting November 1, delivery riders in the emirate will be prohibited from using high-speed lanes. The rules ban delivery bikes from using the two lanes on the left on wider roads with five lanes or more, and the leftmost lane on those with three or four. On two-lane roads or smaller, riders may use either side freely.

Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and Dubai Police said companies whose riders comply with the new lane restrictions will be recognised under the 'Delivery Sector Excellence Award'.

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'Could have been my last ride'

Sarfaraz said he remembers the Al Khail Road accident clearly:“I was hurrying with an order. The customer was calling again and again, asking, 'Where are you?' I didn't want to deliver late; we always try to make sure the food reaches them hot.”

That decision to speed up cost him dearly. While overtaking, his bike skidded when he suddenly applied the brakes. He fell and narrowly avoided being hit by a car behind him.“It was a small accident, but it could have been my last ride,” Sarfaraz said.“Since then, I have avoided the first lane. There's no protection on a bike; even a small mistake can end badly.”

He believes the new rule will make riders think twice before risking their lives.“This law is for our safety,” he said.“People should understand that if food comes a few minutes late, bear with us. We don't delay because we want to, but because we want to live.”

Calling on delivery platforms

Another delivery rider, Hamza, said that the riders occasionally enter the fast lane, but only out of necessity.“Some roads have exits two or three kilometres apart. When traffic is heavy, we have no choice but to move to the left lane so that we can take the right exit in time.”

Hamza, who has been riding in Dubai for nearly four years, said he rarely uses the first lane but acknowledges it's risky.“We are on small bikes surrounded by big SUVs and fast cars. Even the wind pressure from a passing vehicle can shake us,” he said.“After this new rule, many of us won't use the lane at all. It's just not worth it.”

He also hopes delivery platforms will take note of the challenges riders face.“Sometimes we are penalised if we are late,” he said.“The company should adjust delivery times according to traffic and not force riders to rush. Even GPS sometimes shows us a route with more distance, which needs to be changed, too.”

'They just pop out of nowhere'

Motorists said they have had many close calls with delivery bikes on fast lanes. Amaan Hashim, who drives daily from Al Maktoum Road to Business Bay, said riders often appear suddenly in his side mirrors.“They are hard to spot because they are small and fast. Sometimes, they just pop out of nowhere,” he said.

Hashim recalled one incident when a delivery rider cut across two lanes to exit.“I had to brake so hard that everything on my rear seat fell. I get they are under pressure, but it's not worth their life. They should stay in the slower lanes, it's safer for them and for us,” added Hashim.

Fewer near misses

Mohammed Irfan, who drives from Al Nahda to Jebel Ali every morning, said the rule will reduce the number of near misses.“I drive an SUV, and these bikes are hard to see from an elevated platform, especially when they are on the first 3 lanes on an expressway,” he said.“They often stay in our blind spots, and by the time we notice them, it's too late.”

Mohammed said that while riders are just doing their jobs, they must realise the danger.“Fast lanes are meant for high-speed cars. Bikes don't belong there. This rule will save lives,” he said.

Emirati road safety expert Mustafa Aldah, founder of MA Traffic Consulting, said the move is a crucial step toward making Dubai's roads safer for all users.

“Tightening regulations on this sector of road users is a great step in the right direction,” he said.

“Authorities have clearly noticed the adverse impact on safety, and I hope the message is received loud and clear for delivery riders' safety and is just as important as that of every other road user. If they are careless with their own lives, not to mention the lives of others, there will be consequences.”

He explained that research shows enforcement and visibility play a major role in changing driver behaviour.“Human behaviour is largely affected by enforcement and the likelihood of being caught,” he said.“It would be great if we could deploy new technologies that require minimal human interference, such as AI monitoring and smart cameras, until riders develop a long-term habit of compliance.”

Aldah also mentioned that the scale of violations indicates an urgent need for better discipline on the roads.

“In a recent post on social media, the RTA mentioned that 65,000 delivery riders are now operating in Dubai. If police issued over 78,000 fines in just the first nine months, that's an average of more than one violation per rider, and the number is still rising. This is a worrying trend that anyone driving daily in Dubai can see,” he added.

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