Al Masar 24-E-June 2010
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Issue No. 24,June 2010
2:39 PM
Page 1
The official Monthly Magazine of Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority
Mohammed bin Rashid inaugurates the
Water Taxi, Opens RTA new premises
& Rail Operations Control Center
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Roads and Transport Authority
Dubai
Page 3
Along
the
way
Chairman of Board
andExecutive Director
Mattar Al Tayer
A heartening
visit
General Supervisor
Aysha Al Busmait
Director of Customer Service
Editorial Consultant
Maher Al Kayyali
Managing Director
Mohammed Al Munji
Editing Manager
Khulood Al - Sharaf
Art Director
Sara Al Mudharreb
Editors
Fahad Al Mamari
Nashwan M. Al Taee
Layout
Mohd Hassan Al Hafiz
Photography
Syed Zaheer Haidar
RTA Address
P.O.Box 118899
United Arab Emirates
Tel: +971 4 2844444
Fax: +971 4 2906661
www.rta.ae
Contact Us:
Tel: +971 4 2844444
Fax: +971 4 2906661
Email: magazine@rta.ae
On the sixteenth of May last, the Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has had the
honor of a blessed visit of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, during
which HH inaugurated the Water Taxi, opened RTA Head Office at Umm Al
Remool, and also opened the Rail Operations Control Center at Al Rashidiya.
Over the course of nearly two hours, HH toured RTA projects, chatted with RTA
employees, and inquired after the tiny functional details of the Water Taxi, passengers’ security & safety means, and how to access the service. At the Rail
Operations Control Center, HH paused for a while with the staff of the Centre;
where HH reviewed the safety & functionality of systems, operation mechanism, passenger protection, and provision of security & safety for the metro
staff at the best-in-class global safety standards, as adopted and applied in
the Dubai Metro, as well as the safety factors of employees at the metro depot.
Since His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum pays special
attention to customers, HH was keen on having a chat with the male and
female staff of the Call Center; where HH inquired about the nature of contacts
and services offered by the Centre to callers.
The words of His Highness left an indelible effect on the hearts of RTA employees, where HH reiterated the importance of continuing with the drive of building, training and rehabilitation of humans, as well as boosting the confidence
in the psyche of every youth of the nation. After all, no building, no development and no survival can be achieved without the human element; which reckons so much in building the society and state. Our country is endowed with
rich human and national competencies, who hold leading positions in many
organizations, ministries and work station nationwide.
In fact the visit of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum,
has heartened our souls, and strengthened our confidence to commit more
efforts to continue with the building process.
In this precious occasion we offer our deepest thanks and gratitude to His
Highness for kindly launching the Water Taxi, and opening RTA Main Office as
well as the Rail Operations Control Center, meanwhile we pledge to HH to
redouble our efforts towards achieving yet greater accomplishments.
Mattar Al Tayer
Chairman of the Board and Executive Director
Roads & Transport Authority
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content
Cover Story
6
Mohammed bin Rashid inaugurates the Water Taxi
HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice-President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, expressed satisfaction with the tourist and service projects undertaken by the Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai under the
strategy drawn up by HH up to 2015. HH considers infrastructure projects in the Emirate as integral part of this strategy;
which covers all sustained development sectors such as education, health, tourism, sport, culture and others.
“Implementation of Crisis Management System to Restore Critical Road
Infrastructure Connectivity”
It is widely acknowledged that efficient and
effective transportation infrastructure forms the
cornerstone of successful societal and economic development. As such, it is not surprising that
the Government of Dubai has identified development of surface transportation infrastructure as a
key strategic goal. The delivery of this goal has
RTA all set to complete heavy
vehicles monitoring scheme
been entrusted to the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).
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RTA's Licensing Agency has managed, through its
Monitoring & Enforcement Dep’t, to complete about
95% of Heavy Vehicle Monitoring Scheme; which is
carried out in coordination with Dubai Police. The
Scheme comprises three main phases that have been
implemented in accordance with the approved time
frame of the project, as stated during a recent tour
made by the CEO of RTA's Licensing Agency to heavy
vehicles inspection site.
4
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Cover Story
Mohammed bin Rashid inaugurates the
Water Taxi, Opens RTA new premises &
Rail Operations Control Center
Roads & Transport Authority – Mohammed Al Munji:
HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice-President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai,
expressed satisfaction with the tourist and service projects undertaken by the Roads & Transport Authority (RTA)
in Dubai under the strategy drawn up by HH up to 2015. HH considers infrastructure projects in the Emirate as integral part of this strategy; which covers all sustained development sectors such as education, health, tourism,
sport, culture and others.
During a tour that saw HH inaugurating the Water Taxi, and
opening RTA new premises as well as the Rail Operations
Control Center, HH stressed the importance of proceeding
with the drive to build, train and qualify humans as well as
embedding the confidence in all the youth of the UAE. No
building, development or sustainability can be achieved
Issue 24 - June 2010 . www.rta.ae
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without the human factor; which is crucial for building the
community & the country. HH pointed out that our country is
endowed with rich national human resources & competencies; who are assuming leading positions in several entities,
ministries and national working hubs.
The Water Taxi
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HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, flanked by
HH Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai; HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al
Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority,
Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline & Group;
H.E. Mohammed Ibrahim Al Shaibani, Director of Dubai
Ruler’s Court; H.E. Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim,
Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police; H.E. Mattar Al Tayer,
Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA and
several other top officials, inaugurated the Water Taxi at
Dubai Festival City station; as an additional and express
means of transport integrated with all other transit modes in
the Emirate.
HH, and the accompanying entourage, boarded the Water
Taxi in a tour across Dubai Creek during which HH was
briefed by H.E. Mattar Al Tayer on the ergonomic design of
the Water Taxi; which combines the traditional shape of the
abra; an icon of the UAE culture, and modernity as echoed in
the design of the ceiling of the Dubai Metro Stations while
applying the latest technologies in this field. The Water Taxi
has a Catamaran Low Wash dual base, sleek roof, air-conditioned interior and comfortable seats similar to aircraft’s
Business Class seats, equipped with remotely controlled
LCD monitors fitted at seatbacks, a reclining seat up to 45
degrees and a food tray.
The Water Taxi can accommodate 11 passengers + the driver,
and the design addresses the requirements of special needs
persons where 20% of the seats are dedicated for this category. Such seats are foldable thus provide ample space for
the entry and exit of wheelchairs smoothly while maintaining
a firm & safe grip in the cabin’s floor. The Water Taxi extends
11 meters in length and 4 meters in width and weighs about
9 tons, with a speed up to 35 knots. It is fitted with twin environment-friendly engines of 370 hp, top class navigation
systems approved by the International Maritime Organization, complying with the highest security & safety standards
in line with the best international practices.
Control Center
Following the voyage from and to Dubai Festival City Station,
HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and the
accompanying personnel boarded a bus that took them to
the Metro Depot at Al Rashidiya, where HH opened the Rail
Operations Control Center; which has full control of the daily
operation of the Dubai Metro service on both the Red and
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Cover Story
Green Lines. It also controls and monitors the movement of
trains along with the related systems through supervising
the performance of the automatic train, communication systems, power transformers, and power supply to the rolling
stock and the metro stations.
HH and the entourage toured the sections of the Center;
which is manned by highly qualified technical personnel
who attend to implementing the rules and procedures of
safe rail operation, managing emergency cases, and taking
appropriate decisions to overcome difficulties. Through the
center communication can be made with train commuters
via the on board communication systems and the control
room in the event of emergencies.
During the tour, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum reviewed the safety & operation of equipment along
with the measures taken to provide protection & security to
the metro passengers and staff at the highest international
practices which are being approved and implemented in
Dubai Metro.
The Rail Operation Control Center monitors trains traffic,
manages passenger information system & trains access to
the track, controls train movement & stops, checks environmental controls, and monitors power grid & power supply
systems to the rolling stock and stations. It also supervises
the safety of equipment such as fire extinguishing and fighting systems, and ventilation systems of tunnels, stations
and trains, as well as train air-conditioning systems, and the
safety of doors, brakes and motors of each train.
HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum also
reviewed RTA Crises Management System; which aims at
empowering the RTA to cope with crises and disasters along
with their impact on various fields to ensure compliance with
the standards of corporate governance and legal requirements.
HH also attended to a briefing about the work progress in the
Green Line of Dubai Metro which will be up and running in
August 2010. It extends about 22 km of which 10 km are
underground, and links 18 stations, 6 of them are underground. The Green Line starts from Al Nahdah Road at Al
Qusais, passes across Union Square, Al Ras, and Al
Shindagha before heading towards Dubai Healthcare City up
to Al Jaddaf. HH also had a briefing about a study to expand
the Green Line 22 km to the Academic City to link 12 stations.
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HH also reviewed the blueprints of constructing a monument
above Al Ittihad Station covering an area of 19,000 square
meters to be allocated to commercial outlets, restaurants,
offices and others.
HH was briefed on the work progress of Al Safouh Tram Project where completion rate is nearing 20%. The project
extends 14 km along Al Sufouh Road, and the first phase
involves construction of 9.5 km-long line starting from the
Marina station up to Mall of the Emirates station. The tram
network includes 19 stations and the first phase of the
implementation encompasses construction of 9 stations
spread over various areas of activities and population densities along the track. Each train measures 44 meters in length
and has an estimated capacity of about 300 passengers. The
tram fleet consists of 8 trains in the initial phase, in addition
to about 17 trains in Phase II for a total of 25 trains, and the
trams are expected to lift about 5000 persons per hour per
direction.
HH and the accompanying group then moved to the Metro
Depot, where train maintenance & cleaning works are made
and a number of giant cranes and advanced electronic systems are in place, enabling to carry out maintenance of three
trains at a time. The workshop currently serves 44 trains,
which would rise by the end of the project to 79 trains, and
HH was reassured with safety factors at the depot.
RTA new Premises
The last leg of the tour of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid
Al Maktoum was RTA new building at Umm Al Remool, where
HH pressed a button to unveil the curtain from the memorial
plate of RTA Head Office; which comprises three buildings
rising 10 floors above the ground with two basements used
as parking. The Ground Floor has 24 meeting halls, 5 training
halls, 1 computer lab, 1 Nol Card Issuing Cell, and a First Aid
Room. A space in the first floor has been allocated for two
gyms; one for men and another for ladies, and the building
houses a wide convention center.
HH started set off his tour inside RTA building, the cost of
which was 550 million dirham, by inspecting the Call Center;
which attends to serving RTA customers where HH had a chat
with the male and female employees and inquired about the
nature of communications & services provided by the Center
to callers. HH also inspected the nursery built for the children of RTA employees and reviewed the steps taken to pro-
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vide the means of stability for both employees and their
kids. The nursery has a capacity to accommodate 40 children and includes classes for learning and art activities, a
room fitted with 20 beds for newly born babies, a breastfeeding room, a child milk preparation room, a mini internal
park and a pantry for processing child’s food. HH stopped at
RTA gym and inspected the modern sporting equipment and
tools which RTA employees can use for practicing sports.
HH also met the chairwomen and members of RTA Women
Committee at the Committee’s office and had a talk with
them about the tasks of the Committee which is concerned
with the affairs of women working at the RTA, working out
solutions for any problems encountered at the workplace,
and organizing educational seminars as well as recreational
& social activities for RTA female employees and their children. HH was briefed on the achievements and awards won
by the RTA female employees, whose number is 705 employees, thus accounts for 27% of RTA workforce.
RTA achievements
HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum concluded
his inspection tour by visiting the Meeting Hall where HH was
briefed by H.E. Mattar Al Tayer on RTA achievements over the
past four years. Al Tayer mentioned that the number of public transport bus users increased from 96 million in 2006 to
129 million passengers this year. During the same period the
number of marine transport users increased from 17 million
to 20 million passengers, the number of taxi passengers
increased from 50 million to 140 million, and the number of
metro commuters over the last months of this year reached
29 million passengers at an average rate of 100,000 passengers per day.
In the field of traffic and roads Al Tayer noted that the number of lanes crossing Dubai Creek increased from 19 lanes in
2006 to 48 lanes now showing a 153 per cent increase, and
during the same period the number of lanes of main roads
increased from 36 lanes to 66 lanes with an increase rate of
83%. As for the toll system (Salik), the average traffic on
parts of Sheikh Zayed Road increased by 30% and traffic on
Al Garhoud Bridge plummeted by 45% and on Al Maktoum
Bridge by 30%. In the field of traffic safety, the fatality rate
dropped from 24 cases per 100,000 of population to 14
cases per 100,000 of population in 2009, and in 2013, it is
forecasted that the number of fatalities will drop to 9 cases.
In the field of
railways, the Dubai Metro lifted 16 million passengers on the
Red Line since inception, with ridership capacity clocking
60% during off-peak time, and 100% during peak time. As
for the Green Line, buildings completion rate hit 80% and
exceeded 90% in the parking facility which has a capacity to
accommodate 3000 vehicles, and the number of stations
funded by investment bodies as per naming rights selling
agreements reached 20 stations.
In the field of public transport Al Tayer stated the number of
buses increased from 629 in 2006 to 1551 buses now, whereas the number of passengers increased from 96 million to
129 million passengers and revenues made a big jump from
162 million dirham in 2006 to 305 million dirham now. In the
field of marine transport, the water bus and the water taxi
have been operated and 149 abras have also been
revamped. RTA also embarked on a pilot operation of natural gas powered abras and renovating abra docking yards
and marinas.
In the field of licensing drivers and vehicles, the volume of
transactions processed online spanning drivers, vehicles
and vehicle number plates increased by 21%, while the number of customers visiting Customer Service Centers dropped
by 35% due to the provision of a large package of e-services.
The time estimated for processing vehicle ownership renewal dropped from 90 to 10 minutes, opening a traffic file time
dropped from 10 to 2 minutes, whereas the driving license
renewal dropped from 100 to 15 minutes.
HH also reviewed the model of Public Private Partnership
(PPP) in carrying out projects intended to be implemented by
the RTA in some road, marine transport and vehicle parking
lot projects with the aim of injecting attractive economic elements to those projects, and stimulating the private sector
to take the initiative in adopting and funding them against
benefiting from their revenues during the contract period. HH
has also seen the layouts prepared by the RTA for constructing the Unified Control Sector; which will be the main monitoring and linking hub of all RTA transport and traffic control
centers; to be located at the existing site of RTA Main Customer Service Center at Umm Al Remool.
At the end of the tour, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al
Maktoum departed RTA premises with the same warm & hospitable spirit in which HH was received.
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Our News
Al Tayer receives the Dutch Consul
General in Dubai
H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, RTA's Chairman of the Board
Moreover, they have been customized to meet the
and Executive Director of received at his office HE
requirements of special needs passengers as they
Kees Van Spronsen, the Netherlands Consul Gen-
have low floors and dedicated entries for the dis-
eral to Dubai. The meeting discussed means of
abled. The buses, which have deluxe and top quali-
boosting cooperation and exchanging expertise
ty standards, have also been equipped with the lat-
between the RTA & its Dutch counterpart as well as
est passenger information systems, onboard moni-
other Dutch companies & organizations working in
toring system, and auto fare collection system.
mass transit field, particularly public transport and
For his part, the Dutch Consul hailed the efforts
marine transport.
made by the RTA for improving transportation and
During the meeting, which was attended by the CEO
roads infrastructure and stated that he was relieved
of Public Transport Agency Essa Abdul-Rahman Al
to see the Dutch businesses and factories engaged
Dosari, H.E. Mattar Al Tayer expressed delight with
as strategic partners with the RTA in upgrading
the progress made in the manufacturing of Ferry
mass transit modes in Dubai. He stated that Nether-
Dubai boats and the Water Taxi. He praised the
lands had been among the leading countries in the
commitment of Damen Co. by the timeframe set for
world in the field of water transport industry; a major
the manufacturing process, and expressed satisfac-
means of transport in Holland.
tion with the performance of SITA buses manufac-
He also praised the strategy laid down by the RTA;
tured by the Dutch VDL Co., where the RTA pur-
which is based on integrated mass transportation
chased (518) highly sophisticated buses currently
modes such as public buses, Dubai Metro and
deployed on the Metro Stations Feeder Routes.
marine transit modes, and stressed that upgrading
Each bus measures (12) meters in length and has a
transportation infrastructure would push ahead the
capacity to accommodate (68) passengers. The
economy through attracting investments, reviving
buses are fitted with ultra modern air-conditioning
commercial activities and boosting tourism.
system and highest security & safety standards.
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RTA reviews tendering & contract
awarding procedures
with strategic partners
Abdullah Al Madani
Saeed Al Marri
The Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has recently
reviewed with its strategic partners / vendors the procedures of tendering its projects, where the Authority
stressed keen attention to build a sustained strategic partnership with the private sector. This was pronounced during the annual RTA's Open Vendors Day held in coordination with RTA's Contracts & Purchasing Dep’t.
“This program aims at boosting relationships and a partnership with vendors, including contractors, consultants
and suppliers through holding face to face gatherings as
RTA is keen to maintain a fair approach in offering new
opportunities to all companies to take part and vie for RTA
projects. In the meantime, RTA is also seeking to support
these companies and maintain the relationships with them
as the private sector is a key partner of the development
drive witnessed by Dubai Emirate” said Abdullah Al
Madani," CEO of RTA's Corporate Technical Support Services Sector.
He added: “Holding Vendors Open Day is in line with
RTA's efforts to build strategic relationships and open up
new communication channels with stakeholders such as
contractors, vendors and consultants. It also conforms to
RTA's ongoing endeavors to cement the relationships that
contribute to its development role model in completing
projects & services,” continued Al Madani.
For his part, Saeed Al Marri, Director of RTA's Contracts
& Purchasing said: “RTA had reviewed with its partners
the procedures of tendering and awarding contracts,
including the invitation of qualified companies and opening bid by Contracts & Tenders Committee. It also
reviewed the role of Tenders Officer / Quantity Surveyor in
assessing proposals and awarding contracts by the competent departments.
“The objective of holding Vendors Open Day is to
enhance the partnerships with them and express RTA's
appreciation of the huge role they play in delivering RTA's
projects & services. It also adds to the mutual relationships and offers a platform for discussing several issues
of common concern, receiving vendors’ feedback, identifying customer needs in connection with RTA's offered
projects and how to address them as early as possible,”
noted Al Marri.
The gathering was attended by the CEO of RTA Corporate Technical Support Services Sector Abdullah Al
Madani, Director of Contracts & Purchasing Saeed Al
Marri, Manager of Suppliers Affairs Section Salah Al
Naqqi, Manager of Specialist Contracts Section Masoud
Al Awadi and several RTA's managers in addition to a
large group of representatives of contractors, consultants
& service-providers dealing with Marine Agency.
The gathering involved an open discussion between the
RTA and vendors in which several issues & topics related
to tenders and contracts were discussed and answers
were given to all queries and questions posed by the floor
to RTA's specialists & experts.
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Our Projects
“Implementation of Crisis Management
System to Restore Critical Road
Infrastructure Connectivity”
It is widely acknowledged that efficient and effective transportation infrastructure forms the cornerstone of successful societal and economic development. As such, it is not
surprising that the Government of Dubai has identified
development of surface transportation infrastructure as a
key strategic goal. The delivery of this goal has been
entrusted to the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority
(RTA).
As mentioned by Mr. Amair Saleem, Director of Safety,
Risk Regulation & Planning at the Strategy and Corporate
Governance Sector and RTA's Crisis Planning Coordinator Chaired by Mr. Ahmed Bahrozian, CEO of Licensing
agency and Crisis Operation Commander:
While new and upgraded modes of surface transportation
e.g. Metro and Rail Networks are introduced, existing
transportation infrastructure is primarily dependent on the
Road Network. This Road Network, which forms part of
the integrated United Arab Emirates Road Network, is fundamental to communications and commerce connectivity
between the dependent Emirates. Failure or disruption of
major arteries within the Road Network can have serious
ramifications locally for the Emirate in which it occurs
globally and to the UAE. It is therefore not surprising that
such disruptions can quickly escalate and be termed as a
“Crisis” for the Emirate.
Amair Saleem added: The immediate question that arises
is then how can the Authorities reduce the impact of such
Crisis and how quickly can they recover from such Crisis
when they occur? The answers to the questions above lie
in the implementation of a structured Crisis Management
Systems as expanded on below.
Any incident, large or small, whether it is natural, accidental or deliberate, can cause major disruption to an organization. An organization’s Crisis Management System
takes a proactive approach in that potential crisis are identified and crisis management plans are established if the
crisis manifests. In this way organizations will be able to
get back to business in the quickest possible time with
minimum disruption to their business e.g. delays could
mean loss of valuable business, service rendering, or customers losing confidence in an organization. In summary:
Crisis Management is a holistic management process that
identifies potential impacts that threaten the RTA. It also
provides a framework for building resilience and the capability for an effective response in crises to safeguard the
interests of key stakeholders, reputation, brand and valuecreating activities
There are four stages in an effective Crisis Management
System:
Planning and Preparedness
Immediate Response
Transitional response (business Continuity)
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Recovery Response
The RTA Crisis Management System constitutes a Governance Framework to continually test the RTA resilience
against adverse consequences of crisis events and its
impact on the RTA strategic objectives.
A crisis management policy had been adopted and
approved by the Chairman of RTA, which signals the RTA
commitment towards crisis management. The Crisis Management System furthermore makes provision for a command and control structure with key internal and external
roles and responsibilities defined e.g. a Crisis Management Commander, Crisis Management Team (comprising
of responsibilities for operations, planning, media and
communication, logistics, legal etc.), Interface to Police
and Civil Defence Forces etc.
The Crisis Management System outlines specific requirements for implementing, managing, and embedding Crisis
Management philosophy throughout the RTA and
includes:
Establishing a Crisis Operations Centre;
Detailed plans and procedures for the continuous administration and management of the crisis management system;
A protocol for managing interaction with the media and
communication to all relevant stakeholders;
Crisis Response Plan and Crisis Response Instructions
for mobilizing resources, continuation of operations and
services, recovery operations, and de-mobilizing
Supporting documents for coordinating crisis response
Embedding crisis management in the culture of the RTA
by ongoing awareness and training.
Risk assessments have been conducted across all RTA's
Agencies / Sectors to identify potential Crisis scenarios for
RTA. Furthermore, each of the potential crisis exposures
identified for RTA and these have been categorized and
specific Crisis Response Instructions established.
The success of the system has been demonstrated
through studies from actual crises that have disrupted
major Road arteries in the Emirate of Dubai.
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RTA opens key bridges in the 1st Interchange of SZR on May 30th
Al Tayer: Project completion hits
80%, final completion in Dec 2010
H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the Roads & Transport Authority (RTA),
announced that key bridges in the First Interchange of
Sheikh Zayed Road Project will be opened on May 30.
These include the traverse bridges across Sheikh Zayed
Road, providing freeway in both directions from Al Safa
Road to Financial Center Road, a seamless traffic flow
form Al Safa Road towards Dubai.
“By opening these bridges RTA is edging towards a completion rate as high as 80% of the key bridges & roads of
the project; which is considered one of the most important
and sophisticated projects currently undertaken by the
RTA. It is planned that all construction works in the project
will be completed, opened and operated on full capacity by
the end of December this year” stated Al Tayer.
“The First Interchange of Sheikh Zayed Road ranks
among the biggest interchanges in Dubai Emirate, featuring bridges under construction stretching 3 km and a tunnel extending 850 meters. Total cost of the Project, which
is constructed by the Italian Company Salini, is about 617
million dirham” added RTA Chairman of the Board and
Executive Director.
“The importance of this project is underscored by its vital
location at Sheikh Zayed Road near Burj Khalifa and
Dubai Financial Center, thus linking these districts with the
main roads in the vicinity such as Sheikh Zayed Road,
Financial Center Road, and Al Safa Road. Moreover, the
project neighbourhood is one of the busiest & most important areas across Sheikh Zayed Road due to its proximity
to those vital spots; which have a huge tourist, economic
and investment significance to the Emirate” continued
Mattar Al Tayer.
“The new Interchange provides free traffic flow in both
directions of Al Safa Road and Financial Center Road, and
links Sheikh Zayed Road with the upper & lower deck of
the Financial Center Road. The Project also comprises
construction of a tunnel linking the road passing at the
backside of Mazaya Center, besides renovation of Al Safa
Road and improvement of the interchanges along the road
up to the link with Al Wasl Road.
“The completion of the First Interchange of Sheikh Zayed
Road Project, marks the completion by the RTA of the
sixth and final phase of Ras Al Khor Road hub Contract;
which stretches from the Airport Tunnel to the north extension of Beirut Road and terminates southward at the First
Interchange of Sheikh Zayed Road in a sector extending
14 km.
“These projects come in the context of RTA strategy to
keep pace with the urban development and address the
current & future requirements of growth and demographic
expansion for an advanced road network and transportation system. They also come in line with the transition witnessed by Dubai as a cosmopolitan reputable city, a global destination for tourists, visitors and businessmen from
all corners of the world, and a regional & international center for conventions, seminars and expos; thus it becomes
imperative to continue with the development drive to maintain the high profile enjoyed by the city.
“RTA will continue the renovation & widening of several
key and arterial roads in the Emirate under a strategy that
seeks to provide advanced & integrated transportation
services to residents along with comprehensive practical
solutions that ensure smooth traffic flow and contribute to
the realization of RTA vision of providing Safe & Smooth
Transport for All” in the Emirate of Dubai.
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Our News
RTA briefs representatives of Dubai Govt.
Departments on preparations for hosting UITP
World Congress 2011
Mattar Al Tayer speaking to the representatives of government departments
H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of Roads & Transport Authority (RTA),
stressed the importance of concerted efforts of all government bodies to ensure the Emirate’s success in hosting
the 59th International Association of Public Transport
(UITP) World Congress and Mobility & City Transport
Exhibition during 10 – 14 April 2011 under the theme:
Boosting Public Transport – Action!, in Dubai; which will
be the first Middle Eastern city to host this global event;
thus making Dubai over four days a magnetic focal point
for decision makers of world transport and mass transit
industry.
Al Tayer made this statement in the open gathering held
by the RTA with the representatives of Dubai Government
Departments and units, including General HQ of Dubai
Police, Dubai Municipality, Customs Department, Dubai
World Trade Center, Department of Tourism and Commercial Marketing, General Directorate of Residency and
Foreigners Affairs-Dubai, and Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry. The gathering was held in the presence
of Mohammed Obaid Al Mulla, Head of UITP World Congress 2011 Events Hosting Follow-up Team, and Abdul
Aziz Malek, CEO of Dubai Taxi Corporation and 1st
Deputy Chief of the Team.
“Hosting the UITP World Congress 2011 in Dubai is testament to the high profile and good image enjoyed by the
Emirate worldwide. It reflects the confidence pinned by
the international organizations in the stature of Dubai and
its ability to host global events & deliver them with flying
colours” said Al Tayer.
“The UAE, led by HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan
President of the UAE, and his brother HH Sheikh
Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President &
Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, witnessed
a huge development in all fields, with a vibrant & diverse
economy that succeeded in attracting investors and busi-
Issue 24 - June 2010 . www.rta.ae
14
ness leaders, thanks to its international exposure, free
economic policy, best service delivery, and a first-rate
infrastructure in all fields, particularly the transport sector;
which has recently been culminated in the opening of
Dubai Metro” said Al Tayer.
RTA Chairman of the Board and Executive Director called
on the representatives of the government departments to
cooperate and master support for the success of this premier global event to deliver it in a style befitting the global
status of Dubai in hosting events and conventions at the
regional and international level.
Mohammed Obaid Al Mulla, Head of UITP World Congress 2011 Events Hosting Follow-up Team said that this
edition would be a landmark in the RTA drive and the persistent efforts made to achieve excellence in the transportation sector. “Public transport system is being complemented by public buses, metro and water transport systems in the Emirate which will be an example to emulate
across the region. Participants, visitors and followers of
the event will be treated to a first-class infrastructure featuring integrated mass transit modes” said Al Mulla.
“RTA assigns paramount importance to public transportation and is keen on upgrading it in terms of type, efficiency and modernity in addition to technically & administratively trained manpower, close follow-up of maintenance &
operational efficiency, and traffic safety. RTA is also
focusing on the provision of integrated multi-modal public
transport (buses, marine transport, metro and trams) with
high quality, affordable cost and wide geographical coverage. Besides that RTA is also running educative programs
with the aim of impacting the culture and orienting the
social perception about the use of mass transit modes and
enhancing the integrated services offered by public transportation to contribute to the realization of the overall
objectives” said Al Mulla in a concluding statement.
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RTA all set to complete heavy
vehicles monitoring scheme
RTA's Licensing Agency has managed, through its
Monitoring & Enforcement Dep’t, to complete about
95% of Heavy Vehicle Monitoring Scheme; which is
carried out in coordination with Dubai Police. The
Scheme comprises three main phases that have
been implemented in accordance with the approved
time frame of the project, as stated during a recent
tour made by the CEO of RTA's Licensing Agency to
heavy vehicles inspection site.
“The project has been carried out over three main
phases. Phase I covered examining the current situation of heavy vehicles monitoring from a technical
perspective. Phase II covered the initial identification of heavy vehicles monitoring scheme in terms of
technical diagnostic equipment, based on factual
occurrences to avoid any random judgments. Phase
III included training and qualifying employees to
measure the dimensions of heavy vehicles carrying
weights that have negative impacts on the durability
and deprecation of the infrastructure of Dubai Emirate,” said Ahmed Hashim Bahrozyan, CEO of
Licensing Agency.
“The Scheme aims at raising the efficiency of
employees, delivering best-in-class services at high
global standards, realizing the utmost goals of technical know-how, and carrying out proper diagnosis
based on well-defined legislations and modern
equipment in support of decision makers,” he continued.
“Decisions taken based on Driving & Traffic Law are
not meant to impose fees to boost the income of the
Agency, rather they reflect the keen intention and
endeavours of the Agency to maintain the public
order, and promote the concept of accident-free
driving among the public and road users, particularly heavy vehicle drivers,” said Bahrozyan in a concluding statement.
During the visit, the CEO of RTA's Licensing Agency
was accompanied by other senior official of the
Agency; namely the Director of Drivers Licensing
Sultan Al Marzooqi, Director of Monitoring &
Enforcement Ahlam Al Feel, and the Manager of
Heavy Vehicle Monitoring at Monitoring & Enforcement Dep’t Abdullah Al Muhrah.
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Our Services
RTA adds parking use to Nol Card services
The Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has expanded the range
of services offered by the Automated Fare Collection Card,
branded as Nol Card, to include the use of parking service. Nol
Card holders can now use their cards to pay for the parking fees
in all paid parking zones across Dubai Emirate.
A statement to this effect was made by Mohammed Al Mudharreb, Director of RTA's Automated Fare Collection Card, who confirmed that RTA had achieved this integrated services process,
thanks to the coordination between the Automated Fare Collection Card Dep’t and Parking Dep’t at RTA's Traffic & Roads
Agency.
“RTA had added parking service to Nol Cards uses in the context
of its endeavours to enhance the integration of transit mode systems in the Emirate and realize its vision of providing Safe &
Smooth Transport for All. This new service addition opens up
new horizons for possible uses of Nol Card as RTA is seeking to
use it in services that go beyond transit services in future,” said
Al Mudharreb.
For his part, Adel Mohammed Al Marzooqi, Director of Parking at
RTA's Traffic & Roads Agency, commented: “The Dep’t had
upgraded the technical specifications and reconfigured the Central Control System of the Dep’t to track the processes of using
the Nol Card in the parking machines such that they support the
harmonious and integrated use of all Nol Card services.”
He further added: “The Nol Card has been activated to include
the use of parking machines at all controlled parking zones in the
Emirate. At the time of service activation, the number of parking
machines topped 3128 machines, and the number is steadily on
the rise with the expansion of the controlled parking zones in the
Emirate. Upon the use of the Nol Card, the applicable parking fee
at the parking machine will be debited without any surcharges.
“The use of Nol Card to pay for the parking fees through the parking machines is receiving growing public attention in Dubai Emirate as it is compatible and easy-to-use, and the monthly average
of the service usage had so far exceeded 170,000 tickets. The
procedure of using the Nol Card in parking machines is similar to
the use of the Prepaid Parking Card,” said Al Marzooqi in a final
statement.
The total number of Nol Cards sold has reached 1.2 million cards;
which have been used in more than 28.8 million journeys in Dubai
Emirate during the first three months from the launch of the service in September 2009.
This number of Nol Cards has been sold through various selling
outlets of the RTA, Sales Agents and Service Operators. Through
introducing the Nol Card service, RTA aims at achieving integrated use of transit modes in Dubai Emirate, and ensuring convenient and smooth mobility of Nol Card users across the city of
Dubai.
RTA opens 3 metro feeder bus routes,
widens other routes early next month
Dubai - Roads & Transport AuthorityNashwan Atta’ee:
It was revealed by Eisa Abdul-Rahman Al Dosari, CEO of Public Transport Agency at Roads & Transport
Authority (RTA) that the Agency
would launch, on April 30, three new
feeder bus service for the metro stations to cover more areas in Dubai
Emirate, and would also embark on
widening, upgrading and merging
other routes as well.
“Launching these routes has come to light as a result of elaborated studies and extensive site surveys carried out by Planning & Business Development Department at Public Transport
Agency to identify the requirements of linking the metro stations
with the public bus network in Dubai, and establishing the specific requirements of all areas in the vicinity of the new metro
stations that warrant merging, widening and upgrading several
existing routes. Work will begin in the new routes and modifications to coincide with the opening of seven new metro stations,
namely: Emirates Airlines, Airport (Terminal 1), Karama, Emirates Towers, Dubai Internet City, Dubai Marina and Ibn Battuta” stated Al Dosari.
“The three new routes will be dedicated to serve Dubai Internet
City Station, Dubai Marina Station and Jumeirah Lakes Towers
Station, and as such will be roaming several districts of the city
rendering internal transit on public transport a speedy, smooth
and effective exercise” added Al Dosari.
“The new routes include Route (F32A); which will set off from
Dubai Marina metro station, pass through several districts and
Issue 24 - June 2010 . www.rta.ae
16
landmarks of Dubai Emirate such as
Knowledge Village, Le Méridien Mina
Seyahi, Exeter University in Dubai and
several other areas across Sheikh
Zayed Road. Two buses are deployed
on this route and the service is run at
20 minutes headway (interval).
Route (F37) starts off Dubai Marina
Metro Station and passes by several
areas and landmarks of Dubai such as
Hilton Dubai Jumeirah, Ritz-Carlton
Towers, Le Méridien Mina Seyahi and
other areas. Two buses are deployed on this route and the
service is run at 20 minutes headway (interval).
Route (F39A) starts off Dubai Marina Metro Station and passes by several areas and landmarks of Dubai such as Le Méridien Mina Seyahi, HSBC Bank and other areas. Two buses are
deployed on this route and the service is run at 20 minutes
headway (interval).
In another development, Route (F6) will be expanded to Al
Garhoud, which is covered by Route (F7), and Route (F8) will
also be expanded to Al Badia and Dubai Flower Center; which
is covered by Route (F9). Both routes will start off Emirates Airlines Metro Station and will not enter Dubai Airport (Terminal 3)
area. Routes (4, 22, 42, 48 and 93) will be expanded, Route
(22) will be diverted to start from Al Qusais Depot, and Route
(F48) will be rerouted to start off Century Mall Terminus, Al
Mamzer. Routes (F53, 31, 44 and 47) will be rerouted such that
Route (F44) will terminate at Festival City Bus Stop. Routes (2,
24C, 34, 90, 91, 91A, X28, X92, F07, F09, F37A and F999) will
be merged, and the headway in other routes will be enhanced.
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RTA Customers Council holds
7th
gathering with Traffic & Roads Agency
The Customer Council of Roads & Transport Authority
(RTA) recently held its 7th gathering with the customers of
Traffic & Roads Agency with the aim of improving parking
services. The gathering was chaired by Dr. Aysha Al Busmait, Director of RTA's Customer Service, on behalf of
Mohammed Obaid Al Mulla, CEO of RTA's Marine Agency
and Chairman of Customers Council, at the Theatre Hall
of RTA's premises in Dubai.
Dr. Aysha started the meeting by commending the attending members and reiterated RTA's commitment to pursue
a policy of adopting top-class practices to upgrade the
level of services delivered to customers. “Through its
agencies, RTA is keen on broadening & improving the
services delivered to all segments of the community, and
achieving the intended integration of all transit modes to
ease road traffic congestion, curb road accidents and minimize environmental air pollution; which all add to the realization of RTA vision of providing Safe & Smooth Transport for All” she continued.
The gathering discussed several issues and topics of
common concern and how to sort them out in the interest
of all stakeholders and in the best possible manner that
contributes to raising the profile of Dubai Emirate as a premier business, financial and tourist hub in the region.
The gathering was interceded by a video presentation
about the mParking service as well as the procedures and
objectives of the service, which is seeing rising usage
from the public in Dubai. The monthly average of using
this service has exceeded 350,000 e-tickets and the number of subscribers has touched about 14,000 subscribers
by the end of 2009.
Issues related to parking service discussed during the
gathering included the problems of overlapping parking
zones with roadside parking machines, and the high
demand for the mParking service during Fridays and official holidays resulting in pressure to the system. Customers called for rolling out intensive educative campaigns to enlighten the public with the use of the service
through placing more signage with illustrative images as a
guide for the service use.
Beside Dr. Aysha Al Busmait, the gathering was attended
by the Director of Vehicle Licensing at RTA's Licensing
Agency Mohammed Abdul Kareem Nimaat, Director of
Marketing & Corporate Communication Peyman Younes
Parham, Director of Road & Facilities Maintenance Manager of the CEO of RTA's Marine Agency Office Nayela
Fikri, and several RTA's officials.
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Our Services
RTA opens Railway Right-of-Way Office
to protect rail facilities, issue NOCs
The Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has introduced
Railway Right-of-Way Office affiliated to the office of the
CEO of RTA's Rail Agency to complement the strategic
plans of the Agency & the RTA that aim at streamlining
and aligning the business conduct with the envisioned
goals & development, and improving the services delivered by the RTA to the public.
According to Adnan Al Hamadi, Acting CEO of RTA's Rail
Agency, opening of Railway Right-of-Way Office was
intended to meet several objectives such issuance of No
Objection Certificates (NOCs) for external parties to
enable them practice their jobs in areas within the railway
right-of-way. The Office is also concerned with the protection of rail facilities and coordination with the strategic
partners & other external bodies.
“The staff would endeavor to provide best-in-class services to the public at world-class standards, and protect the
metro facilities from external parties. All procedures in
place for processing transactions, such as NOCs, are set
in conformity with the approved standards of the RTA in
Issue 24 - June 2010 . www.rta.ae
18
coordination with the external & internal service providers
to facilitate the implementation of rail-related projects or
projects within the railway right-of-way. They would also
attend to the inspection of railway right-of-way, detect
potential damages or risks ensuing from the activities of
external parties (such as construction companies & contractors), cope with the infringements of individuals and
commercial outlets pertinent to the utilization of the railway right-of-way or removal of any impediments obstructing the rail track, and issue offence tickets & fines to violators in accordance with the applicable rules, regulations
and the approved internal orders,” said Al Hamadi.
The Acting CEO of Rail Agency further added: "staff of the
Railway Right-of-Way Office has been mandated with lawenforcement powers to empower them issue offence tickets, and issue improvement & banning notices in accordance with Law No. 5 for 2009 - Railway Regulation in
Dubai Emirate; where the fine ranges from AED200,000
to AED500,000.”
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RTA continues construction of air-conditioned bus shelters across Dubai
RTA's Public Transport Agency has so far completed construction of 760 air-conditioned bus shelters at 656 locations in Dubai, hitting a completion rate as high as 97%,
with an operation rate reaching 81%, meanwhile work is
up and running in completing the remaining shelters
whose total number is 971 shelters, according to Abdulla
Yousef Al Ali, Director of Buses at Public Transport
Agency.
“This project is one of the strategic initiatives undertaken
by the RTA to provide comfortable services to the users of
public buses, particularly during the soaring temperature
in the summer season as these shelters have been fitted
with air-conditioners to provide a comfortable environment
for waiting bus passengers,” he said.
“The main objective of launching this service is to entice
the public to use public buses through providing innovative & cutting edge solutions offering passengers a comfortable environment while waiting for buses. The project
plays a pivotal role in broadening, improving and integrating public transport sector spanning public buses, metro
and marine transit modes,” continued Al Ali.
“The Public Transport agency is always keen on widening
and upgrading its work mechanism through offering a
package of creative solutions designed to offer best-inclass services to the public including citizens, residents,
visitors and tourists. It seeks to encourage them to use
public transportation network; which would undoubtedly
contribute to smoothen traffic flow, beat traffic congestion,
and minimize traffic road accidents,” added Al Ali.
While stressing that RTA would continue offering classy
services, Al Ali called on the users of air-conditioned bus
shelters in Dubai to use these shelters in a proper way,
maintain their cleanliness and refrain from tampering or
vandalism acts inflicting losses on them. He specifically
called on them not to leave the door open so as not to
undermine the functioning of the air-conditioning system,
and reminded them that those shelters, which ranked
among the best services offered by the RTA to the public,
had been provided in the first respect for the benefit of all
community segments.
It is note-worthy that RTA's air-conditioned bus shelters
project is the first of its kind worldwide, and through this
excellent project RTA scooped GCC Engineering Union's
Excellence & Innovation Award during the 12th GCC
Gathering hosted by Qatar at the end of 2008.
RTA starts processing school NOCs online
All schools in Dubai Emirate can now have their transactions related to the issuance of No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from the Roads & Transport Authority
(RTA) processed online as regards to the renewal of
school bus driving licenses, and payment of fines related to violations of School Transport Law.
According to the CEO of RTA's Public Transport Agency
Essa Abdul-Rahman Al-Dossari: "schools, which need
to renew their licenses, are to log on to RTA's official
website, press “New User” icon, and move on to the
second step i.e. completion of the Registration Form
(corporate or individual). After getting the “Username”
and “Password” through the e-mail, the user can open
the “e-Services” page, select “NOCs”, press “Issuance
of NOCs to Schools”, complete all the required information and finally press “Submit Application.”
“Following receipt of the required information and documents online, the specialized work team tasked with the
issuance of NOCs at Public Transport Agency then
makes site visits to school managements to check all
documentation and verify the compliance of schools
with the conditions & instructions stated in the School
Transport Manual, and accordingly the required NOC
will be dispatched by e-mail within 7 working days. The
Team will offer schools complimentary copies of School
Transport Manual, and deliver introductory lectures
about school transport regulations which have to be
adhered to,” he noted.
“From inception, RTA was keen on upgrading customer
service level, and diversifying the means of delivering
these services among which the internet ranks first. For
this end RTA worked out an integrated strategy to convert these services and deliver them online in keeping
with the vision and drive of Dubai e-Government. Such
a strategy has been based on speedy processing & customer centricity, and coordinated with the e-Government with the aim of showcasing the e-services and
using the metrics and criteria of Dubai e-Government
such as e-Services Quality Framework document. RTA
regularly keeps track of the observations made by the
Dubai e-Government through the Quality of e-Services
Assessment Report on the design & content of the website.” continued Al Dosari.
It is note-worthy that RTA has recently swept the
Awards of Dubai Government Excellence Program 2009
under intense competition from local authorities and
departments by winning ten awards including the Electronically Distinguished Government Dep’t Award.
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Numbers X Numbers
More than 20 Million Abra Passengers in the
last 15 months in Dubai
More than 120 Thousand Waterbus Passengers in the first quarter
2010 in Dubai
The number of waterbus passengers in the first quarter 2010
reached 120,552 according to
approved statistics received from
Marine Agency. However, the
mentioned number decreased by
16.9% from the first quarter of the
last year 2009 which was 145,063
waterbus passengers, which
reflected a decrease of 24,511
passengers from that quarter. It is
worth mentioning that the number
of passengers in the first quarter
2009 increased by 85.3% from the
first quarter 2008 which reached
only 78,244 waterbus passengers
in Dubai.
Moreover, the statistical comparison which was prepared by Statistics Section in Strategic Planning
Department in RTA Strategy and Corporate Governance
Sector revealed that the waterbus patronage in March
2010 was 34,305 passengers, 46,239 passengers in
March 2009, and finally 27,486 passengers in March
2008. On the other hand, February statistics from the last
three years show that the waterbus patronage was 40,828
passengers in 2010, 50,060 passengers for February
2009, and finally 31,252 passengers for the same month
2008.
It is worth mentioning that 532,062 passengers used the
waterbus in the year 2009 compared with 407,667 passengers in the year 2008, with an increase of 124,395
passengers and an increment rate of 30.5%.
More than 20 Million Abra Passengers in the
last 15 months in Dubai
Abra patronage in Dubai reached more
than 20 Million passengers in the past 15
months, recorded during the past year
2009 and the first quarter of 2010,
according to approved statistics received
from Marine Agency. A remarkable rise
from 3,684,010 passengers in the first
quarter 2009 to 4,393,505 passengers in
the first quarter 2010 was recorded, with
an increase of 709,495 passengers and
an increment rate of 19.3%.
The monthly average of Abra passengers
increased from 1,363,499 passengers
per month during last year to 1,464,502
passengers per month during the first
quarter 2010, which reflects an increase
of 101,003 passengers for the monthly
average, with an increment rate of 7.4%.
Please note that the number of 154 Abras
has not changed over the past two years.
In addition, while the total Abra patronage in the last year
and the first quarter of this year reached 20,755,497 passengers the total number of Abra patronage in January
Issue 24 - June 2010 . www.rta.ae
20
2010 reached 1,512,199 passengers, and the total passengers in February 2010 was 1,434,381 passengers,
then the number increased to 1,446,925 passengers during March 2010.
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Community Safety
Dubai Taxi coordinates with Dubai Police
to deliver educative lectures on tourism
security to cabdrivers
RTA's Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC) has teamed up with
Tourist Security Dep’t at the General Department of Criminal Investigation of Dubai Police to deliver educative lectures on tourist security to taxi drivers in Dubai Emirate in
the context of the year-round campaign run by Dubai
Police.
The Director of DTC's Fleet Drivers Affairs Ammar bin
Tamim said: “DTC is constantly coordinating with the concerned bodies at the General HQ of Dubai Police on various awareness issues of concern to the public and to the
public interest of the Emirate.
“Coordination is in hand with Tourist Security Section to
deliver educative lectures about tourist security focusing
on defining the concept of the tourist security, providing
security to tourists during their stay in Dubai, defining the
concept of the tourist who comes as a tourist and not a
jobseeker or a migrant, and highlighting the duty of the
cabdriver to portray a civilized image of the Dubai Emirate
as the driver is the nearest person to the tourist or passenger,” added Ammar.
Lectures include the procedures adopted in case the
tourist loses anything on board the vehicle, and the driver
has to drive directly to Lost & Found Section at any Police
Station to deliver the lost items as the tourist does not
have the sufficient time to do so. Lectures also stressed
the importance of establishing close cooperation between
the Police and cabdrivers in case a tourist makes suspicious movements and how to communicate with the
Issue 24 - June 2010 . www.rta.ae
22
police. Drivers are also cautioned against offering services that contradict with the Labour Law, smuggling passengers, and assisting those who are in breach of labor rules
or have no driving licenses & engaged in other services.
“DTC is keen on qualifying drivers and fully grooming
them before starting their jobs as they are considered
ambassadors of the RTA in general and DTC in particular.
This does not only include qualifying cabdrivers on safe
driving and enhancing their compliance with driving and
traffic rules, but also covers the fact that drivers have to be
well-behaved, honest and transparent in their daily dealing with passengers so as to give a true image of the
approach adopted and advocated by the DTC,” concluded
Ammar.
Major Abdullah Al Shamsi, Head of Tourist Coordination
Section, said: “Through these campaigns and educative
lectures we aim to raise the awareness of cabdrivers of
tourist security, and enhance the role of cabdrivers in
maintaining the community security. This stems from the
belief of the General HQ of Dubai Police that cabdriver
position is a short-cut tool that can be manipulated to minimize offences & breaking out of crimes, and arrest criminals as taxi drivers are 24 hours on the road. Dubai Police
is seeking to communicate with the related parties including taxi companies to highlight this requirement through
running educative campaigns and providing a safe road
and smooth traffic for tourists and all road users.
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RTA alerts motorists
to Others' Faults
The Roads & Transport Authority (RTA), in cooperation with the Ministry of Interior, is continuing the
educative program under the theme: “Beware of
Others' Faults”; launched with the GCC Unified Traffic Week and set to roll on for three months.
Events of the campaign, which is run by Traffic
Awareness Section at Traffic Department of RTA's
Traffic & Roads Agency, focused on the traffic faults
committed by some motorists & road users and how
to avert them. Traffic safety & education experts
have identified a series of fatal errors along with
guidance on how to avoid them through adopting
defensive driving methods, and published them in
an educative brochure as shortcuts listed in Arabic
& English languages; which is being distributed at
various locations in Dubai.
The Brochure, which was given a subtitle of:
“Beware” urges motorists, pedestrians and cyclists
to exercise every caution against driving errors
which, if ignored or unattended to, might lead to catastrophic crashes. It advises the motorist, who stops
at the foremost cross line of the signalized juncture,
not to make a speedy start when the signal’s light
switches from red to green so as to avert the potential errors of motorists who might be jumping the red
signal, and verify that the juncture is clear from vehicles moving in other directions before starting to
move.
The brochure contains guidance about avoidance of
errors of speedsters through selecting the correct
lane, giving way to others, and leaving sufficient distance to avoid sudden stop and the risks of wrongful overtaking. The rules-compliant driver has
always got to be ready to react to the vehicle in front
and expect a turn or change of lane without using
the side light signals.
The Brochure indicated some key points; which the
driver has to comply with at pedestrian crossings
such as slowing down and careful negotiation of
turns, in addition to cautionary guidelines to avoid
faults that might trigger accidents involving motorcyclists.
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RTA Community
Students Awareness Teams visit patients injured in traffic accidents
The events are part of an awareness program
undertaken by the RTA
Since the beginning of this year, the
Roads & Transport Authority (RTA)
has been engaged in developing
educative programs that work side
by side with the engineering & technological drive, in the context of a
traffic safety strategy that aims to
curb the numbers of traffic accidents and victims.
The programs developed by Traffic
Awareness Section at Traffic Dep’t
of RTA's Traffic & Roads Agency
do not overlook the victims of traffic
accidents themselves as the Section is running a weekly awareness
program entitled: “We are here to
console you” targeting those injured
in traffic accidents and hospitalized
in Dubai hospitals. The program, which is run on
weekly basis, aims at offering consolation & moral
support to victims, and introducing them to the
objectives of the program which seeks to deliver
RTA message to them and showcase its support to
the community members and road users to help
them avoid traffic accidents or cope with them.
The latest development introduced by the program
supervisors since the beginning of last April was to
link it with other awareness programs such as Traffic Awareness Teams; students groups formed by
Traffic Awareness Section at intermediate & secondary schools in Dubai, each comprising 10-15
students in every school to lead the
traffic awareness activities & events
undertaken by the RTA at the
schools registered in the program.
During the past two weeks, the two
Traffic Awareness Teams at Al
Ibdaa Model School and Ahmed bin
Rashid School made two visits to
Rashid Hospital accompanied by
the supervisors of the Awareness
Teams Programs where they met
with some of those injured in traffic
accidents who narrated to the students how the accidents in which
they were involved took place. Students were also briefed by Traffic
Awareness Section officials to the
methods of avoiding such accidents
Issue 24 - June 2010 . www.rta.ae
24
and the importance of complying with the traffic
rules and regulations.
Last year, “We are here to console you” Program
made 43 visits in which it met with 130 injured
patients whose injury details, including the type and
place of the traffic accident, were entered in a database maintained by Traffic Awareness Section.
Such data will be used in planning for some awareness events & activities, notably in selecting the targeted categories for some programs, or in cautioning against some frequent faults that lead to traffic
accidents claiming the lives of many individuals.
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Dubai Taxi honours distinguished
drivers in the 4Q 2009
RTA's Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC) recently honoured 150 cabdrivers out of
1495 distinguished drivers
assessed in the fourth
quarter of 2009 under Drivers Performance Management System, in recognition of their distinguished
performance and dedication to offer excellent service. The event was held in a
special ceremony on Tuesday 16 March 2010 at
RTA's Head Office.
The ceremony was attended by the CEO of Dubai
Taxi Corporation Abdul Aziz
Malek, Director of Resources & Support Ali Mattar
Mohammed, Director of Fleet Process & Operation
Yousef Al Ali, Acting Director of Fleet Drivers Affairs,
Salem Abdul Rahim, and several managers and senior
officials of the DTC.
Following the completion of one year since the introduction of Drivers Performance Management System, for
which a AED2 million budget has been set aside as
rewards for cabdrivers, the DTC honoured 2905 cabdrivers in 2009 out of more than 7200 drivers working at
the DTC as follows: 350 drivers honoured in the first quarter, 634 drivers in the second quarter, 426 drivers in the
third quarter and 1495 drivers in the fourth quarter. Drivers
were honoured in three categories: First Category for
those who scored 100 points where each driver was paid
a cash reward of AED300 in addition to a purchase voucher of AED100. The Second Category (98 points) got a
AED100 in cash reward and purchase voucher of
AED100. The Third Category (95-97 points) got a purchase voucher of AED10.
“Honoring this elite group of distinguished cabdrivers
comes in recognition of their excellent performance and
dedication to offer distinguished service to customers. The
DTC is keen on rewarding these drivers on quarterly basis
in a bid to uplift the level of services rendered to customers, and have in place an effective system to assess
the daily performance of drivers, reduce the number of
accidents and offences, reward distinguished drivers, and
train drivers with poor performance or in breach of the sys-
tem,” said Malek.
The CEO of DTC continued: “We, at DTC, endeavour to
track the overall performance of cabdrivers and recognize
the distinguished efforts made by these drivers which contribute to the improvement of the level of service rendered
to the public. In doing so we count on a host of key parameters such as integrity, customer complaints, daily income
per km, accidents, traffic fines, and black points. Drivers
are being assessed at four grades: excellent, very good,
good, and fair.
Malek added: “Dubai Taxi is always concerned with delivering top quality services to customers from various community segments and paying much attention to re-qualifying drivers who have poor performance records through
subjecting them to training sessions to upgrade their performance and rectify their mistakes. Meanwhile penalty
system remains in place and may reach a level dictating
service termination of drivers whose errors exceed the
permissible thresholds. RTA is keen on maintaining a
good image among the society and therefore views drivers as its ambassadors in view of their daily contact and
engagement with all segments of the community.
“DTC is currently considering upgrading the system of
quarterly honouring of distinguished drivers and revising
the associated Awards in a way that prompts cabdrivers to
do more efforts towards achieving higher levels of performance excellence, and the details of the new system
would be unveiled in future,” remarked the CEO of DTC.
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Issue 24 - June 2010 . www.rta.ae
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