President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has issued Federal Law No. 13 of 2014 changing the name of National Transport Authority (NTA) to Federal Land and Marine Transport Authority (FLMTA).
The first article of the new law provides for replacing the old name of NTA with the new name 'Federal Land and Marine Transport Authority (FLMTA)' in the text of Federal Law No. 1 of 1971 regarding the jurisdiction of the ministries, the powers of the ministers and the amending laws thereof.
The second and third articles provide for superseding any other law that is in conflict with the provisions of the new law as well as with any ruling on the publication of the law in the official gazette and its coming into force.
The new law was issued to remove any common confusion between the name of NTA and the names of the Emirates Transport and other federal or local departments.
The change is also aimed to clarity FLMTA's specialisation and role, showcase its local and international role, to clear confusion and express its jurisdiction in land and marine transport.
The move is part of FLMTA's aim to further expand its federal role and stature in the land and marine transportation sectors locally, regionally and internationally.
FLMTA, which is headed by Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammed Belhaif Al Nuaimi, Minister of Public Works, also aims to achieve three main goals between 2014-2016. These include the regulation of the UAE's marine transport sector as well as enhancing its competitiveness, performance, safety and cooperation with relevant authorities through three initiatives. They also include regulation of the land transportation sector and enhancing its competitiveness through eight initiatives, including preparation and activation of new legislation, specifications and standards for mass transport, as well as the completion of legislation for railway networks and promoting the role and efforts of FLAMT locally, regionally and internationally in enhancing safety in land transportation and protection of environment.