Dubai explores co-operation with Sweden

Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA, has recently received Stig Nyman, Stockholm County Council Commissioner, in the presence of Malin Appelgren, Solna Municipality Commissioner, and Karl Henriksson, Head of Public Transport, in addition to several Swedish government officials. From the RTA Abdul Mohsin Ibrahim Younes, CEO of Strategy & Corporate Governance Sector, also attended the meeting. At the start of the meeting, Al Tayer welcomed the Swedish delegation, stating that the RTA would be looking forward for more co-operation and exchanging of expertise with Swedish firms and entities operating in the field of roads & transport. Al Tayer gave visitors a briefing about the RTA which had been established with the aim of bringing an effective & integrated transportation system capable of supporting the fruition of the Dubai Emirate through figuring out quick solutions for the traffic position, and developing a long-term strategic plan for roads & transport in the Emirate. The Swedish delegation was acquainted with projects undertaken by the RTA to upgrade the mass transit services in the Emirate. The portfolio of projects accomplished comprised constructing the Dubai Metro project, beefing-up the fleet of public buses from 619 buses at the time of establishing the RTA to more than 1400 modern & sophisticated buses, installing 900 air-conditioned bus shelters for commuters of public buses all over the entire emirate, and constructing several bus depots. Adding to that the array of projects delivered also included the operation of the Water Bus, Water Taxi and Ferry Dubai besides retrofitting 154 abras. The Swedish delegation was also familiarised with the Unified Card System and RTA road projects where the number of lanes crossing the Dubai Creek soared from 19 lanes in 2006 to 48 lanes in 2012 recording in the process a massive 153 per cent rise, and the overall length of roads network leapfrogged from 8715 to 11217 km. Discussions also touched on the standards set by the RTA for mapping the route of mass transit means (trains, buses) and identifying the appropriate transit mode for each locality. Al Tayer indicated that charting the path of trains is geared to the overall layout of the city as well as the economic & urban centers, while the type of the appropriate transit means is being asseshgsed based on the size and inhabitants of the district. The Swedish delegation was all praise of the approach adopted by the RTA in handling the traffic grid and triggering the transition towards public transport in the mobility of inhabitants of the Emirate. They also commended the Dubai Metro project featuring a gorgeous design, high-quality finishes, and top-notch passengers service. From Gulf Today