RTA gears up for New Year’s celebrations at
Dubai Mall – Burj Khalifa, The Palm Jumeirah
The public is urged to use public transport means during the
events
Roads &Transport Authority – Nashwan
Attaa’ee:
The Team for Managing Traffic
Movement and Handling Operational Plans during Official & Annual Events at
the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has fully prepared a Master Traffic
Plan for the movement of vehicles and public transport means during the New
Year’s eve; which is marked by an intense traffic movement, particularly in the
surroundings of Dubai Mall – Burj Khalifa and the Palm Jumeirah; which is
primed to witness world record-breaking firework displays.
Engineer Maitha bin Udai, CEO of RTA
Traffic & Roads Agency cum Head of RTA’s Team for Managing Traffic Movement
and Handling Operational Plans during Official & Annual Events, said: “The
Team has taken all measures necessary to ensure a smooth traffic movement in
the vicinity of the Dubai Mall – Burj Khalifa during the New Year’s
celebrations. The Traffic Plan in place features the provision of additional
parking spaces & directional signage, and 24 hour operation of the metro from
05:30 am on 31/12/2013 up to 00.00 (midnight) of 01/01/2014. The Dubai Metro
will adopt a Skip-Stop operation system i.e. stopping at only one station of
the following three stations: Business Bay, Dubai Mall – Burj Khalifa, and
Financial Center i.e. the Metro will stop at one of these three stations and
skip the other two from 04:00 pm on 31/12/2013 up to 04:00 pm on 01/01/2014 in
order to increase the passenger capacity of the three stations. During the
period the metro ridership is anticipated to hit 749,842 riders on the Red Line
and 359,025 riders on the Green Line.
“We have got in hand a ready &
approved plan for managing the traffic movement on the New Year’s Eve and the
Traffic Management Team attending to this plan has benefited from last years’
experience. The Team has provided 13,500 additional parking slots near the
events area; 8000 parking at Meydan, 2,500 parking at the World Trade Center,
1,500 parking at Residency & Foreigners Affairs Department at Jafliya, and
1,500 parking at Zaabeel Park,” explained Maitha.
“Signage are being set up to show the
way to the alternative parking and directing the traffic to the internal roads
network at the Business Bay to access the Sheikh Zayed Road, Al Khail Road to
ease the pressure on the Financial Center Road. Work is currently in hand in
setting up a solid rail in the median of the Sheikh Zayed Road in the sector
along the Burj Khalifa and the Business Bay in order to fend off pedestrian
crossing and traffic disruption. A bus shuttle service will be operated to lift
the public from the eastern side of the Sheikh Zayed Road to the Western side
of the Road, light signals on the Financial Center Road & the Mohammed bin
Rashid Boulevard will be controlled to ensure the smooth traffic flow during
various peak hours, and the Virtual Messaging Signs will be used to alert road
users of any road closure as well as directing the public to use alternative
locations for parking their vehicles,” she elaborated.
About the services of public buses on
the New Year’s Eve, bin Udai said: “60 Feeder Buses will be deployed to serve
the users of the Metro, additional parking, and alternative taxi ranks, over
and above the existing routes serving the neighbourhood. 15 buses will be
deployed to serve Meydan parking, 20 buses to serve Trade Center parking, 15
buses to serve the parking of Zaabeel Park as well as the Residency &
Foreigners Affairs Department, and 10 buses will be deployed to move the public
from the eastern part of the Sheikh Zayed Road to the Western part of the Road.
Locations of feeder buses have been
identified and the principle of dedicated bus lanes will be applied to ease the
movement of buses as shown above as well as locations designated for taxi
parking and waiting. Buses will be in operation around the clock in a way synchronized
with the operation of the metro stations.
Emaar has expressed readiness to bear
all operational expenses of above buses, thus riders will be treated to free rides.
Public bus ridership is expected to reach 49,920 passengers, and the event held
at the Dubai Mall – Burj Khalifa is likely to post a 30% increase in public
transport users compared to the numbers recorded last year.
Parking spaces and a dedicated lane
have been designated for taxi cabs to facilitate taxi access to the event
venue, where two main car parks have been allocated, namely the sandy area of
the Business Bay at the end of the tunnel extending from street No. 312 which
can house up to 300 vehicles. Both the tunnel and the lane on this street will
be restricted to taxis and buses to serve as an express lane from the Trade Center
to the event’s venue. The second car park is the sandy area alongside the Financial
Center Road, which can accommodate about 500 vehicles. A temporary exit has
been set up leading taxi cabs directly from the parking area to Al Khail Road.
Alternative parking spaces have also
been designated to accommodate taxi cabs during peak hours at both Trade Center
& Jafiliya Station parking lots, besides opening new bus routes to lift
passengers to the alternative locations.
Fifty-five Limousine companies will
also be invited to offer services to passengers during the event. Taxi cabs are
expected to lift 120,400 passengers in 69,000 trips from and to the event’s
venue.
During the New Year's Eve
celebrations, the Dubai World promises a record-breaking firework shows at the
Palm Jumeirah, where fireworks will be displayed all over the Palm Jumeirah.
50,000 viewers are expected to attend the event, including 30,000 people among
the residents & visitors of the Atlantis Hotel.
Operational Measures for Managing Traffic Movement at the Palm
Jumeirah:
Three checkpoints have
been set up as the entry to the Palm Jumeirah on the day will be restricted to residents,
invitation & pass card holders, pre-booking holders, taxis cabs and buses; considering
that the event organizer will limit access to the authorized personnel only.
Entry to the Palm
Jumeirah will be denied to all vehicles including cardholders', taxis cabs and
buses at 10:00 p.m. on 31/12/2013 i.e. two hours before the start of firework
displays. All roads leading to the Palm from Sufouh Road or from the circular
bridges at the Palm's entrance will be closed in coordination with Dubai
Police.
Given the lack of parking spaces for
such huge attendance inside the Palm Jumeirah and in order to avoid traffic jam
in the Palm's internal roads, alternative parking areas have been designated
outside the Palm, and accordingly buses will shuttle invited guests and booking
holders to the venue. The designated parking spaces are, American University
car parks, which hold about 600 vehicles, and the sandy area at the Dubai
Internet City, which have space for 1,300 vehicles approx. Atlantis Hotel
management expressed readiness to prepare the area and provide all traffic
safety means including lighting during the event.
An area along Al Sufouh Road has been
designated as a public parking space to enable the public to watch the firework
displays. All traffic signals along Al Sufouh Road will be controlled to ease the
traffic during peak times.
Concerning public buses service at
the Palm Jumeirah area, 40 feeder buses of the Nakheel Harbor & Tower
Station will shuttle people between the event’s venue and the alternative car
parks mentioned above, where access cards will be checked at the designated
parking spaces. The Dubai World has expressed commitment to bear all operation
expenses of the above-mentioned bus routes, thus offering free service to the
public and facilitating bus riding process.
Moreover, parking lots have been designated
for taxi cabs and 55 Limousine companies will be invited to offer service to
the public during the event. Taxis on the day are expected to lift 5,200
passengers in 3,000 trips from and to event venue.
The Leader of RTA’s Team for Managing
Traffic Movement and Handling Operational Plans during Official & Annual
Events said, "The light signals control room will monitor the traffic in
the area and the Team will direct it according to the requirements of handling
the traffic movement and volume at intersections and streets adjacent to the Burj
Khalifa. Variable Messaging Signs will provide guidance to drivers about
alternative routes; and operation team members will be available at site to
coordinate with the Dubai Police and Emaar to ensure the implementation of the
proposed operational plans and carry out the required amendments.
Engineer Maitha bin Udai called upon
all community members to use the metro and public transport rather than private
vehicles, especially during festivities days held in Dubai, such as for the New
Year's Eve celebrations, pointing out that the team's plan had taken into
account the demand for public transport and provided whatever required to
accommodate the growing numbers of potential riders.
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