Sunday, December 30, 2012

RTA Traffic Management Team gears up for New Year’s eve



RTA Traffic Management Team gears up for New Year’s eve

Community members urged to use public transit means


Roads & Transport Authority – Abdul Fattah Haidrah & Nashwan Atta’ee:
The Team responsible for Traffic Management and Handling of Operational Plans During Official & Annual Events at the Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has put the final touches on a comprehensive plan for managing vehicular traffic on the eve of the New Year; which is poised to witness huge traffic movement, particularly in the vicinity of Burj Khalifa.

Engineer Maitha bin Udai, CEO of RTA Traffic & Roads Agency cum Head of Traffic Management & Handling of Operational Plans During Official & Annual Events Team at the RTA, revealed that the Team has prepared all procedures required to ease the traffic movement in the neighborhood of Burj Khalifa during the New Year celebrations. “The traffic plan in place entails the provision of additional parking spaces, installation of directional signage, 24-hour operation of the metro, deployment of additional & feeder bus service, provision of bus-dedicated lanes, and addressing the needs of taxicabs,” she said.

“We have got in place a fully-fledged and approved plan for managing the traffic on the eve of the New Year, and the team attending to this plan has benefited from the experience of last year. Meanwhile, the RTA is currently in the final stages of constructing internal roads network at the Business Bay Crossing which will offer the public several options to access Sheikh Zayed Road, Al Khail Road and accordingly avoid the anticipated congestion at the Financial Center Road. The team will also cater to providing greater exit corridors for vehicles once events are concluded.

“The team has managed to provide 10,000 additional parking slots near the events venue including 2,000 parking spaces at the Trade Center, and 8,000 parking spaces at Meydan, while deploying shuttle bus service to lift the public to the events venue. 15 members of the Team will be deployed in the surroundings of Burj Khalifa to monitor the implementation of the Plan and carry out necessary modifications in cooperation with the Dubai Police and Emaar Company. The metro will be operating round-the- clock and the number of passengers is expected to hit 132 thousand.
“The traffic signals control rooms will monitor the traffic movement in the area and the Team will direct the traffic as dictated by the density of vehicular traffic at the intersections and streets in the vicinity of Burj Khalifa. The Virtual Messaging Signs will also help direct road users to suitable alternative roads,” added engineer Maitha.

She called on the public to use the metro and public buses rather than private vehicles, particularly during events held in Dubai such as the Eve of the New Year’s festivities. “The plan set by the Team accounts for higher ridership of public transit means and has done what it takes to accommodate additional numbers of potential commuters,” said Maitha in a concluding remark.

For his part, Ahmed Mohammed Al Hammadi, Director of Buses, Public Transport Agency and Head of the Team Responsible for Dealing with Public Transport Systems, Metro and Taxis during Official and Annual Events, said that fare gates of four metro stations will be open for the public without requiring the user to swipe the Nol card on the ticket validation machine provided that the Nol card will be swiped and fares will be deducted on exiting the final station for each user in order to ease off entering the stations near the celebration venue. “So, the Nol card will have to be swiped on fare gates at the time of exiting the stations, which are located within the same faring zone, depending on entering them. Consequently, the fares deduction will be identical to the faring schedule. These stations are: Business Bay, Burj Khalifa Dubai Mall, Financial Center and Emirates Towers,” he explained.
“Three different types of public bus service will be run namely; the metro feeder service, night service and the Park and Ride service to shuttle passengers from the parking areas. Metro feeder buses operate on the following routes: From Burj Khalifa Dubai Mall metro station to Dubai Mall, and the service will run at 3 minutes headway during peak times using standard buses. From the Business Bay metro station to Burj Khalifa Dubai Mall metro stations where passengers can use the Metro Sky Link to access the Dubai Mall at 5 minutes headway during peak time using standard buses as well. From the World Trade Center metro station to Burj Khalifa Dubai Metro Station at 5-minutes headway during peak time also using standard buses.

“The Park and Ride service for shuttling visitors from car parks will run on the following routes: from the parking lot of Meydan to bus parking area at the back of the Dubai Mall at 20 minutes headway during peak time using standard buses, from the World Trade Center parking lot to bus parking area at the back of the Dubai Mall at 10 minutes headway during peak time using standard buses, and from the parking space of Zaabeel Park to the bus parking area at the back of the Dubai Mall at 10 minutes headway during peak time using standard buses,” elaborated Al Hammadi.

About the night bus service, Al Hammadi said: “This service covers the following routes: From the parking space at the back of the Dubai Mall to Ibn Battuta metro station at 10 minutes headway during peak time using standard buses, from the parking space at the back of the Dubai Mall to Rashidiya metro station at 10 minutes headway during peak time using standard buses, and from the parking space at the back of the Dubai Mall to Burjuman metro station / Ghubaiba metro station at 10 minutes headway during peak time using standard buses.

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Atlantis, The Palm is the World's Leading Landmark Resort



Atlantis, The Palm is the World's Leading Landmark Resort

Dubai, UAE, 23 December 2012: Atlantis, The Palm is thrilled to have been crowned the ‘World's Leading Landmark Resort’ at the World Travel Awards (WTA) held recently in New Delhi, India.

“We are happy to represent Dubai at these prestigious international awards,” commented Serge Zaalof, President & Managing Director at Atlantis, The Palm. “We feel immense pride at that this iconic resort has been recognized as the ‘World’s Leading Landmark Resort.’”

World Travel Awards exists to recognize, acknowledge and celebrate excellence in travel tourism and hospitality and the categories were voted by travel professionals across the globe. Established 19 years ago, World Travel Awards is committed to raising the standards of customer service and overall business performance throughout the international tourism industry.

The most important decision-makers in the industry attended the VIP ceremony, which was officially supported by Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, and hosted at The Oberoi, Gurgaon, New Delhi Capital Region, the new business and commercial district of Delhi NCR.

Saturday, December 22, 2012



Empower lauds UAE’s launch of new mega-projects in last quarter of 2012

Ahmed Bin Shafar: “Khalifa Port and Sheikh Mohd SME Fund are just two examples of the country’s vision

Dubai, UAE, 22 December 2012: Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower), the largest district cooling provider in the Middle East, has lauded the UAE’s milestone achievements in the fourth quarter of 2012, exemplified by investments in major projects, including the Khalifa Port in Abu Dhabi.

This strategic move is expected to give a major boost to trade and economic sectors in a short period of time across the country according to the company’s CEO.

Ahmed Bin Shafar, CEO, Empower added: “The UAE unveiled a series of mega projects projects in the fourth quarter, especially the Khalifa Port project which consolidates the country’s position in marine trade, logistic services and container transport.”

Bin Shafar added: “Khalifa Port marks the start of another phase in the country's development by diversifying the economy towards value-added services.”

Khalifa Port is equipped with an automated container station supported by a ready electronic system designed to meet the needs of freight and shipping sectors in the UAE.

Another project, Mohammad Bin Rashid SME Fund for supporting SMEs in Dubai, was launched to support around 100 projects for youths annually. The fund aims to provide support to small and medium projects and create a new generation of entrepreneurs to boost the UAE economy.

“SMEs are considered the pillar of any country’s economy as they create new job opportunities and raise competitiveness and boost the dynamism of the economy. In this regard, the UAE is giving close attention to supporting SME sectors,” Bin Shafar said.

“SMEs offers ideal investments opportunities and they are main service providers that large enterprises from government and private sectors outsource from,” he added.

The significance of Mohammad Bin Rashid SME Fund is that it tackles a major hurdle faced by SMEs, which is the lack of funding.

Bin Shafar added: “We invite SMEs to invest in the District Cooling and allied sectors, in order to boost this dynamic sector in the Middle East.”

Saturday, December 15, 2012

213 m riders used Dubai Metro since launched till Nov 2012





213 m riders used Dubai Metro since launched till Nov 2012

Roads & Transport Authority – Mohammed Al Munji:

H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the Roads & Transport Authority (RTA), revealed that the Dubai Metro, both Red and Green Lines, has touched new heights with ridership hitting 213.354 million passengers from the start of the commercial service on 10 September 2009 till the end of November 2012. He added that ridership of the Dubai Metro had seen a huge growth during this year with the average daily ridership hovering around 350 thousand commuters and the number is set rise in the near future, particularly after the opening of Danube Station on the Red Line; which serves Jebel Ali Industrial Area.

Al Tayer was delighted with these positive indicators depicting the growth in the ridership of the Dubai Metro; which, he said, reveal that RTA plan to augment the ridership of public transit means is moving in the right direction. “It also indicates a transition in the culture and attitudes of the community towards public transit systems as people started to grasp the benefits of using public transport systems such as the psychological & physical comfort in travelling light, and economizing on the expenses for fuel and maintenance of vehicles,” he added.

“The number of commuters using the Red Line since launched on 9/9/2009 till the end of September 2012 hit 170,621,483 passengers. The ridership is continuously on the rise; jumping from 1.8 million passengers in October 2009 to 3.3 million passengers in August 2010 and went further to hit 6.5 million passengers in November this year. The number of commuters using the Green Line since opened in September 2011 till the end of last August touched 42,733,093 passengers, and the ridership soared from 2.4 million passengers in October 2011 to 3,492,554 passengers last November.

“Al Ittihad, Burjuman, Deira City Center, Mall of the Emirates and Rigga stations accounted for the lion share in the total number of commuters on the Red Line. Ridership rates hit 16,224,270 passengers in Al Ittihad Station, 15,611,842 passengers in Burjuman Station, 14,053,193 passengers in Deira City Center, 13,568,414 passengers in Mall of the Emirates Station, and 11,076,128 passengers in Rigga Station. On the Green Line, Al Fahidi Station accounted for the largest number of Green Line commuters attracting 5,232,868 passengers, followed by Bani Yas Station that serves high density residential & business district which was used by 5,006,149 passengers, Al Ghubaiba Station which was used by 3,731,209 passengers, Oud Maitha Station which served 3,291,071 passengers, and Salah Uddin Station which served 2,982,046 passengers.

“These indicators illustrate that the RTA is moving ahead with its drive to achieve its strategic objective of raising the rate of trips made by public transit means to 30% by 2030, and this rate has touched 10% in 2011.

“Dubai Government has pumped massive investments in upgrading the infrastructure of public transport sector; which proved successful and effective, and contributed to bolstering the development drive seen by the Emirate under the prudent leadership of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, as reflected in the thriving business climate, and growing tourist activities as well as the provision of safe & smooth transit. These ingredients are bound to encourage mobility, revive the economy, and raise the competitive edge of Dubai in hosting international events such as conventions, sport events, horse-races … etc, besides conserving the environment, slashing the financial impacts of traffic jams, and diverting the demand from private vehicles to public transit means.

Captions:
- Mattar Al Tayer
- Dubai Metro providing a new link for the districts of the Emirate
- Accelerated growth of the metro ridership

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

RTA opens Dubai Metro’s Danube Station, unveils plaque of Burjuman Station







RTA opens Dubai Metro’s Danube Station, unveils plaque of Burjuman Station

The Roads & Transport Authority – Mohammed Al Munji:
The Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has opened yesterday Danube Station (formerly known as Jebel Ali Industrial Station) on the Red Line of the Dubai Metro, thus raising the number of stations opened for passengers to 28 out of 29 stations on the Red Line. The RTA has also unveiled yesterday the plaque of Burjuman Station (formerly known as Khalid bin Al Waleed Station); after joining the Dubai Metro Stations Naming Rights Project.

H.E. Sultan Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy, accompanied by H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA, has officially opened the Station for Dubai Metro users. The Danube Station is the only metro station located at the grade and spans about 132 meters in length, 29 meters in width and has a capacity to handle 11,000 passengers per hour per direction.
“The Metro Stations Naming Rights Project has realized an unprecedented marketing concept throughout the world, and assisted the government with funds for the betterment of services delivered to the residents of the Emirate, besides offering businesses a new platform for branding and interacting with customers,” said Al Tayer.

“Through Serco Co, the Dubai Metro operator, the RTA has finalized all technical trial runs of the Metro, including communication systems, automatic operation system, power feed, air-conditioning, electronic systems on board, lighting systems and the integration of various subsidiary systems along with their components. It has also finalized the training of front-end & customer service employees at the Station on various systems who have already been deployed after being subjected to intensive training courses in customers service, implementation of regulations & procedures chalked out by the RTA for maintaining the facilities of the project, and the enforcement of law against offenders,” explained Al Tayer.

For his part Mr. Rizwan Sajan, Founder & Chairman of Danube Group, said: “The Group takes pride in the solid partnership forged with the RTA in the implementation of the Naming Rights of the Dubai Metro Project. This partnership is part of the Group’s commitment to support the infrastructure of Dubai Emirate, besides associating the name of the Group with such a vital and giant project such as the Dubai Metro with the aim of cementing the brand, and boosting the partnership with the public sector.”

Sajan expressed his deep gratitude to the Dubai Government represented in the RTA for offering Danube Group the opportunity to be part of the Dubai Metro Project, the longest driverless metro project worldwide.

Burjuman Station
H.E. Matar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA, accompanied by Mr. Essa Ibrahim, General Manager of Burjuman Center, unveiled the plaque of Burjuman Metro Station (formerly known as Khalid bin Al Waleed Station); which has joined the Naming Rights of the Dubai Metro Project.
The Station, which has four entry points fitted with elevators along with lifts at the main entry points, stretches about 126 meters in length and 102 meters in width and sits 20 meters below the ground level. The station has a capacity to handle about 16,000 passengers per hour.

“Burjuman Station is considered the second interchange station where the Red and Green Lines intersect and features high-class internal decorations ranking it among the world’s most gorgeous stations. The station is also very busy having being used by 15.6 million persons since the metro operation started in September 2009, with an average monthly ridership of about 400 thousand passengers,” added Al Tayer.
For his part, Essa Ibrahim General Manager of Burjuman Center, praised RTA’s efforts in upgrading the infrastructure of transport & roads sector, and delivering top-quality mass transit services.

Al Ghurair continued: “The Dubai Metro is considered one of the successful models, considering it one of the most effective projects around, and Burjuman Center is keen on contributing to the success of the Project and obtaining the naming right, considering it part of its efforts to support the vision of the Dubai Government aimed to showcase it as an ideal city in all respects for the benefits of residents and visitors.”

At the end of the ceremony, the attending personnel from the RTA and Burjuman posed for photos.

Captions:
- Al Mansouri, Al Tayer during the Opening of the Danube Station
- Al Tayer, Al Ghurair unveils the plaque of Burjuman Station

Sunday, November 25, 2012

RTA to complete Al Khail Road Widening Project by the end of this year






RTA to complete Al Khail Road Widening Project by the end of this year

The project provides six-lane driveway in each direction


Dubai - The Roads & Transport Authority:
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is currently engaged in putting the final touches of Al Khail Road Widening Project and bracing itself or opening the entire Project comprising six lanes in each direction, providing seamless traffic flow over the whole traffic corridor by the end of this year 2012. Work is up and running in completing all flyovers of this key arterial passageway to ensure the smooth traffic movement in all directions of these interchanges.

Engineer Maitha bin Udai, CEO of RTA Traffic & Roads Agency, said: “The ongoing follow-up regime instituted by the RTA for this vital project is reflected in examining work progress of all phases, ensuring work is progressing according to the approved timeline, meeting contractors working in all project phases, and tackling any difficulty confronting the project to overcome it and avoid any delay. The Project covers the widening and improvement of the existing Al Khail Road in a sector stretching 15 km from the junction of Meydan Road up to the junction of the Emirates Road. The Project also covers widening the existing road from four to six lanes in each direction and replacing the four R/As by free multi-level interchanges. Due to the massive nature of the Project, it has been divided into four phases with a total cost tag of 1.95 billion dirham.

Phase I (Improvement of Al Khail Road/Interchange with Emirates Roads- Interchange 9) of the Project comprises the construction of a new flyover to replace the circular junction on Emirates Road enabling free traffic movement in all directions. It also includes the construction of two elevated ramps the first one links the traffic on Emirates Road outbound to Al Khail Road, and the other links the traffic on Al Khail Road outbound to Emirates Road. It also includes increasing the number of lanes from four to six on both Emirates Road and Al Khail Road, and the provision of necessary services. Completion rate in this stage has clocked 98% and is set for full completion by the end of December this year.

Phase II (Improvement of Al Khail Road/Interchanges 19 & 22/ Al Qouz) of the Project comprises the construction of two new flyovers on Al Khail Road providing smooth traffic flow in all directions instead of the existing two R/As at the intersection of Al Khail Road with Latifa bint Hamdan Road, and Arabian Ranches Road at Al Qouz Residential & Industrial Areas. It also includes the widening of Al Khail Road from four to six lanes in each direction and the construction of a flyover inbound from Al Qouz and outbound to Al Khail Road, in addition to various road works such as pavements, lighting, light signals, traffic signage & others. The Project also entails traffic diversions and removal of some utility lines intercepting the project works, in addition to the new utility works required for the project completion. Completion rate in this stage has exceeded 99% and will be finalized during this month of November and the opening of this stage will be timed with the opening of other phases by the end of December 2012.

Phase III (Improvement of Al Khail Road/Interchanges 10, 11 & 13) of the Project covers the widening of Al Khail Road from four to six lanes in each direction in a sector extending between the junction with Umm Suqeim Road to the junction with the Emirates Road as well as modification of all curves at the existing junction of Al Khail Road with Hissa Road (Junction 13). Completion rate in this phase has hit 98% and is set for completion this November.

Phase IV (Improvement of Al Khail Road/Junction with Umm Suqeim Road – Junction 17) of the Project comprises replacing the existing R/A at the intersection of Al Khail Road with Umm Suqeim Road by a multi-level flyover to provide a smooth vehicular movement in all directions. The Project also encompasses the widening of Al Khail Road from four to six lanes in each direction, and removing & protecting the utilities & services impacted by the Interchange. Completion rate has reached 77% and the project will be completed & opened in two parts; the first part, which includes constructing key bridges on Umm Suqeim Road & widening Al Khail Road to six lanes in each direction, will be opened by the end of December this year. The other part, which includes two sub bridges will be completed and opened for traffic in the first half of 2013.

Al Khail Road improvement projects are undertaken in the context of RTA Master Plan for Improvement of Roads, Bridges, Crossings and Tunnels Network with the aim of streamlining the traffic flow all over Dubai districts. The Project also marks the implementation of RTA Strategic Plan for uplifting the infrastructure of roads network and mass transit systems in Dubai Emirate, and developing integrated solutions of roads systems as well as land/marine transportation networks that are safe for users and matching up with the sweeping development plans, capable of catering to the needs of demographic expansion, and supporting the development and investment drive in the Emirate.

Saturday, November 24, 2012

RTA awards contract for construction of internal roads at Al Qouz 3, 4





RTA awards contract for construction of internal roads at Al Qouz 3, 4

The project is part of Phase I of RTA 5-Year Plan for Construction of Internal Roads


Roads and Transport Authority – Mohammed Al Munji:
In a meeting held recently, the Board of Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), chaired by has H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA, has awarded a contract for construction of internal roads at Al Qouz 3 and a part of Al Qouz 4 at a cost of 21.732 million dirham. The Project echoes RTA keenness on improving internal roads network to cope up with the requirements of demographic & urban expansion in the Emirate, and live up to its Vision of providing Safe & Smooth Transport for All.

“This Project is part of the 5-Year Plan (2012-2016) endorsed by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, for paving internal roads in a number of Dubai residential areas at a total cost of about one billion dirham. Phase I of the Plan covers five residential areas namely: Hatta community, and Al Qusais 3 in addition to Al Qouz 2, 3 and 4,” explained Al Tayer.

“The Internal Roads Project at Al Qouz 3 and part of Al Qouz 4 comprises the construction of roads extending 9 km comprising 7-meter wide collector roads, and 6.5 meter-wide local roads along with roadside parking slots measuring 2.5 meters in width. The Project also includes lighting works, storm-water drainage services, traffic signage and road marking. Works in the project, which has been awarded to Wade Adams Company, will start by the end of this month and take 300 days to complete.

“Last May, the RTA awarded 3 contracts for construction of internal roads. The first contract covered the construction of internal roads at Al Qusais 3 at a cost of 23 million dirham, comprising the construction of 6 km-long roads. The second contract covered the construction of 8 km-long roads at Al Qouz 4 at a cost of 15 million dirham. The third contract covered the construction of internal roads at Al Warqa 1, 2, 3 and 4 at a cost of 156.631 million dirham, including road & lighting works spanning 125 km. The contract covers the construction of 89 km-long roads, and improvements on existing roads extending 36 km, in addition to the construction of roadside parking slots, parking works for some mosques and public schools in the area, and all necessary road works such as road marking, and traffic signals," elaborated Al Tayer.

The 5-Year Plan (2012–2016) for Construction of Internal Roads at Residential Districts in Dubai Emirate, which has been endorsed by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, covers the construction of internal roads in about 16 areas where urbanization ranges from 20 to 80 per cent, though drops in some areas to as low as 5 per cent. Phase I of the Project, the cost of which is about AED150 million, covers five residential communities namely: Hatta and Al Qusais 3 in addition to Al Qouz 2, 3 and 4. Phase II, which will start in 2013, costing about 140 million dirham, covers three residential districts namely; Muhaisna 2, and Al Barsha South 1 and 2. Phase III, which starts in 2014, costing about 130 million dirham, covers Al Mamzar, Al Nahdah 1, and Oud Mateena 2. Phase IV, which starts in 2015, costing about 140 million dirham, covers the construction of roads in 3 districts: Nad El Sheba 4, Oud Mateena 1, and Khawaneej 2. Phase V, which starts in 2016, costing 250 million dirham, covers the construction of road projects in Jebel Ali Industrial Area 1, Al Qusais Industrial Areas 3, 4 & 5, and Al Awir 1.

Caption:
- Mattar Al Tayer
- Layout of roads construction plan at Al Qouz