Al Tayer: Completion rate hits 85% in Al Khawaneej Bus Depot

Al Tayer: Completion rate hits 85% in Al Khawaneej Bus Depot

Roads & Transport Authority – Mohammed Al Munji:
H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of Roads & Transport Authority (RTA), announced the completion of 85 per cent of construction works of Al Khawaneej Bus Depot and revealed that the station will start operation during the first half of this year. Al Tayer also expressed his delight with the operation of Al Rawiyya Bus Depot; the latest bus depot completed and operated by the RTA in August 2009. Al Tayer made this statement during a site tour that took him to the two depots accompanied by the CEO of Public Transport Agency Eisa Abdul Rahman Al Dosari, CEO of Corporate Technical Support Services Sector Abdullah Al Madani, and several RTA directors.

Al Tayer set off his tour by inspecting the Bus Depot at Al Rawiyya, comprising a bus parking yard capable of housing 295 buses (144 standard buses and 151 articulated buses) in addition to an electromechanical maintenance workshop with a capacity to accommodate 20 buses at a time, a supply line for 12 buses, a washing unit for 20 buses at a time, and an administrative office for about 40 employees. Al Tayer was briefed by Eisa Al Dosari and Abdullah Yousef Al Ali (Director of Bus Dep’t) on the progress at the Depot including bus operation & maintenance and drivers training programs. The number of bus drivers at the station is estimated as 691 drivers, and the number of buses about 227 sophisticated buses of Mercedes brand and SITA manufactured by the Dutch VDL company. Buses are deployed over 29 routes and the rate of bus compliance with the planned entry & exit time schedules is as high as 99 per cent.

Al Tayer stated that he was delighted with the operational results of the station which was fitted with the latest equipment and technical tools for carrying out all maintenance works and electromechanical repairs, in addition to the latest testing systems, spare part warehouses, and offices for administrative & technical staff. RTA bus maintenance workshops are operated at the highest global safety standards, and maintenance is done in air-conditioned halls equipped with the latest tools and machinery.

Afterwards Al Tayer moved on to inspect the work progress at Al Khawaneej Bus Depot where the contracting company is putting the final touches as the whole works are expected to be completed during the first half of this year. Designs and infrastructure works completed included road networks, and parking & sewage systems whereas building completion rate reached 85% in the project. The station includes construction of a bus parking yard capable of housing 284 (comprising 146 standard buses and 138 articulated buses) in addition to an electromechanical maintenance workshop with a capacity to accommodate 20 buses at a time, a supply line for 12 buses, a washing unit for 20 buses at a time, and an administrative office for about 40 employees.

Al Tayer stated that the project is part of RTA master plan to upgrade mass transportation on buses with the aim of attracting new commuters and hence contribute to easing roads congestions. These highly sophisticated buses feature top quality specifications, affordable fare and wide geographical coverage and as such provide a big boost to the integration of mass transit modes that include public buses, Dubai Metro and marine modes. The plan also considered construction air-conditioned bus shelters, introduction of electronic systems such as the journey planner “Wojhati”, automatic bus management scheme, unified card scheme, and real time passenger information system, in addition to “Sharekni” and “Awselni” programs.
At the end of the tour, Al Tayer hailed the efforts of employees who are working tirelessly to complete the project, and called on the contracting company to do more efforts to complete the project on time.

Photo caption:
 Mattar Al Tayer inspecting the work progress at Al Khawaneej Station
 Al Tayer briefed on Bus maintenance program at Al Rawiyya