RTA to open all bridges, tunnels of 1st Interchange on SZR end of next Jan

RTA to open all bridges, tunnels of 1st Interchange on SZR end of next Jan

Al Tayer: Opening the I/C marks the end of the final and 6th Phase of Ras Al Khor Roads Contract stretching 14 km

Roads & Transport Authority – Mohammed Al Munji:

H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has announced the completion of all construction works at the 1st Interchange on Sheikh Zayed Road; which will be opened for traffic by the end of January 2011. He added that by opening this vital interchange, RTA would finalize the 6th and final phase of Ras Al Khor Road Contracts; which extends more than 14 km from the Airport Tunnel northward terminating at the 1st Interchange on Sheikh Zayed Road southward.

“The remaining works at the 1st Interchange on Sheikh Zayed Road will be completed in four stages. RTA will open today (Wednesday) the main bridge on Sheikh Zayed Road ensuring traffic flow coming from the Financial Center Road (Upper and Lower Decks) heading towards Sheikh Zayed Road in the Abu Dhabi-bound direction, and also ensures the flow of traffic from Al Safa Road to Sheikh Zayed Road in the direction of Abu Dhabi. Next Saturday, RTA will open the widening of Sheikh Zayed Road near Burj Khalifa in the direction of the Financial Center Road,” said Al Tayer.

“In the first half of next January, RTA will open the third stage of the Project ensuring free traffic flow from Sheikh Zayed Road towards the Dubai International Financial Center across Tunnel No 2, and also ensuring the flow of traffic from Sheikh Zayed Road in the direction from Dubai heading towards Al Safa Road, in addition to a free passage for traffic inbound from Sheikh Zayed Road heading towards the Financial Center Road (Lower Deck).
“The Final stage of the Project, which will be opened by the end of next January, RTA will open the main Tunnel No 1 parallel to Sheikh Zayed Road linking Al Satwa and Al Wasl areas passing underneath Al Safa Road.

“The 1st Interchange on Sheikh Zayed Road Project, which is one of the biggest interchanges undertaken by the RTA, comprises bridges extending more than 3 kms and tunnels measuring 850 meters, and the total cost of the Project, which is being constructed by the Italian Salini Co, is about 617 million dirham. The new Interchange will provide free traffic flow in all directions linking Sheikh Zayed Road and the Upper & Lower Decks of the Financial Center Road. It also includes the construction of a tunnel linking the road passing at the backside of Mazaya Center and the road passing at the backside of towers overlooking Sheikh Zayed Road, in addition to the widening of Al Safa Road and improving the intersections at the road in a sector extending up to Al Wasl Road.

“The importance of this Project is underlined by its vital location on Sheikh Zayed Road and in the vicinity of Burj Khalifa and the Financial Center districts. It links these districts with the main surrounding roads such as Sheikh Zayed Road, Financial Center Road, and Al Safa Road; an area considered as the most congested and important zone on Sheikh Zayed Road due to its vicinity to key and vital areas of the Emirate in terms of tourist, economical and investment aspects,” added Al Tayer.

RTA Chairman of the Board and Executive Director hailed the efforts made by engineers of RTA Traffic & Roads Agency who supervised this project despite the huge difficulties and challenges confronting the progress of this project, while attending to the highest occupational safety standards throughout the work sites.

“These projects come in the context of RTA strategy to keep pace with the urbanization drive, meet the requirements of demographic growth as well as the current and projected expansion of roads and transportation networks. They mark the transition witnessed by the Emirate as a highly reputable cosmopolitan city and a global hub for tourists, visitors and business leaders from all over the world, besides its lofty reputation as a center for regional and international conventions & exhibitions; which warrants continuing with the development process and maintaining the appearance of the city in order to live up to its billing.

“RTA will continue the construction works of key and arterial roads in Dubai Emirate as part of integrated road widening projects under a strategy aimed at providing sophisticated services to residents and offering practical and universal solutions that ensure smooth traffic flow towards realization of RTA vision of providing Safe & Smooth Transport for All,” said Al Tayer in a final remark.

Photos:
- Mattar Al Tayer
- Layout of the project stages to be opened

RTA puts final touches on Green Line stations of Dubai Metro

RTA puts final touches on Green Line stations of Dubai Metro

The project is set to open as planned in August 2011

Roads & Transport Authority – Mohammed Al Munji:

H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board & Executive Director of the Roads & Transport Authority (RTA), announced that RTA had completed the construction works in most stations on the Green Line of the Dubai Metro, following the full completion of the 23-km long track extending along the Green Line. Completion rates in stations currently range from 55 to 100 percent in the finishing works, 65 to 85 percent in electromechanical works, and as high as 85% in the Park-and-Ride facilities at Al Qusais. He reiterated that work in the project is moving ahead on schedule and the project is set for opening in August 2010.

Al Tayer made these statements during an inspection tour of the work progress in the Green Line project of the Dubai Metro that took him to the Dubai Healthcare City, Al Ittihad, Al Ghubaiba, Al Ras, Al Qiyada, and Etisalat stations in addition to the multi-story car-parking building. Al Tayer was accompanied in the tour by the CEO of Rail Agency Adnan Al Hamadi, the Head of Follow-up Team of RTA Hosting UITP Congress 2011 in Dubai Mohammed Obaid Al Mulla, and a number of directors and engineers supervising the project.

Al Tayer set off his tour by inspecting the Dubai Healthcare City station where construction works have reached an advanced stage as the internal finishing works have almost reached 55 per cent and electromechanical works are as high as 65 per cent. Al Tayer then inspected the work progress in Al Ras and Al Ghubaiba stations where construction and civil works have been fully completed and so are the metal structures and platform doors. Completion of the finishing works in the two stations ranges from 55 to 70 per cent, whereas the completion of electromechanical works ranges from 65 to 75 per cent.

The two stations feature heritage designs depicting the history and legacy of the UAE. The design concept revolves around employing the architectural traditional elements used in antique buildings, such as wind towers (Brajeel), oriels (Mashrabia), alleyways (Sukaik), internal arches and others through replicating them in an enhanced manner, while addressing the aesthetic and technical dimensions of those elements such that the heritage-inspired stations would match the traditional Souks in the locality, look like a natural extension of the Heritage & Diving Village, and fit well with the antique control towers currently seen in the area.
Al Tayer then inspected the work progress in Al Ittihad Station; one of the stations in which the Red & Green Lines intersect and considered the world’s biggest metro station spanning an area of 25,000 square meters with a capacity to handle about 22,000 passengers per hour. The Station, which consists of two levels, extends 230 meters in length, 50 meters in width, and 18 meters in depth. It houses commercial & service outlets for serving metro users, and has two entry points equipped with lifts & escalators. Four tunnels branch out of the Station bound to Khalid bin Al Waleed & Al Rigga Stations on the Red Line, and Bani Yas & Salah Uddin Stations on the Green Line. Al Tayer attended to a briefing about the work progress in the station, where the contractor has completed all concrete works, and metal structures of platform screen doors and the completion rate has reached 70 per cent in the internal finishing works, and 85 per cent in the electromechanical works.
Al Tayer went about his tour to visit Al Qiyadah Station along Al Ittihad Road near the Dubai Police General HQ; one of the elevated stations of the Green Line that has a capacity to handle 11,000 passengers per hour in each direction with dimensions measuring about 130 m in length and 30 m in width. It has two ingress points fitted with escalators and lifts and the completion rate has reached 90 per cent in the construction works, 70 per cent in the finishing works and 75 per cent in the electromechanical works.

RTA Chairman of the Board and Executive Director concluded his tour by visiting Etisalat Station; the starting point of the Green Line where the Contractor has finalized all concrete works, metal structures of the station and the platform doors. Completion rate has reached 70 per cent in the finishing works, and 75% in the electromechanical works. He also inspected the multi-level Park-and-Ride facility where the completion rate in the parking lot, surrounding roads, bus station and footbridges is nearing 88 per cent. Al Tayer toured the building which has a capacity to house 2350 vehicles and meant to encourage the public to use the metro in their mobility across Dubai Emirate. The building has been designed to provide ample space for feeder buses of the station, ensure smooth traffic flow and accommodate huge number of buses at a time. It is also fitted with footbridges linking up with the opposite side of the road to ensure easy and safe access to the metro station, while providing the standard safety measures for passenger movement in the building.

At the end of the tour Al Tayer expressed his delight with the work progress in various locations of the project, and commended the efforts of all personnel working tirelessly to accomplish the project. However, he called on the contracting company to commit more efforts to ensure the opening of all stations on time.

Photo captions:
 Al Tayer attending to a briefing about the work progress in the Green Line Stations
 Huge progress made in the Green Line works

Dubai Metro ridership hits 23m passengers since Sept ’09: Al Tayer

Dubai Metro ridership hits 23m passengers since Sept ’09: Al Tayer

 130k passengers used the metro on July 1st
 212% rise in the daily ridership of the metro
 185% growth in the number of passengers from October 09 to June 10

Roads & Transport Authority – Mohammed Al Munji:
H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board & Executive Director of the Roads & Transport Authority, revealed the Dubai Metro ridership broke the barrier of 23 million passengers since the launch of the service on 09/09/09 up to the first of week of July 2010. Al Tayer also stated that the daily ridership of the Metro has reached a new height on Thursday 01 July 2010 clocking 130,529 passengers.

Al Tayer expressed his delight with these statistics which demonstrate that RTA plan to increase mass transport ridership is moving on the right track, and also reflect a transition, though small, in the culture of the community towards using mass transit systems. “People have started to perceive the benefits and advantages of using of public transport such as the psychological & physical comfort in transit, and reduced fuel & vehicle maintenance costs besides the contribution of using public transport to effectively cutting road accident mortalities, and reducing carbon emissions from vehicle exhausts,” he stated.

“The number of metro users is steadily on the rise since the launch of the service on 09 September 2009 with ridership jumping from 1.8 million passengers in October 2009 to 3.3 million passengers in June 2010 recording in the process an increase rate as high as 185 per cent. In September 2009 the number of metro commuters clocked 1,196,920 passengers and the following month saw an increase in the ridership to 1,767,879 passengers. Metro ridership broke the two million passengers barrier in December 2009 and the number kept rising to reach 3,193,087 passengers in May 2010 and touched a higher point last June by clocking 3,262,912 passengers,” continued Al Tayer.

RTA Chairman of the Board & Executive Director further added that the daily ridership of the Dubai Metro jumped from 54,683 passengers in October 2009 to 116,340 passengers last June, recording a 212 per cent rise. July 2010 recorded an all-time high figure in the daily metro ridership as the first day of this month (Thursday) clocked 130,529 passengers. This sustained growth in the metro ridership is attributed to the vibrant nature of Dubai city; which has become a summer tourist destination, thanks to the Dubai Summer Festival and the promotional offers made by hotels & malls, making it a tourist attraction point.

Commenting on passenger breakdown per stations Al Tayer said: “Khalid bin Al Waleed Station is the busiest station as the number of commuters who used the station since the start of the metro operation reached 3,145,210 passengers, followed by Mall of the Emirates Station (3,059,069 passengers), Al Ittihad Station (2,989,879 passengers), Deira City Center Station (2,102,484 passengers), and Al Rashidiya Station (1,829,653 passengers).

“The number of commuters who used the ten new metro stations of which seven have been opened by the end of April and three opened on May 15, witnessed a healthy growth of about two million passengers. Ibn Battuta Station ranked first in the number of users clocking 466,554 passengers, followed by Al Karama Station (276,817 passengers), Dubai Marina Station (231,663 passengers), Emirates Towers Station (211,262 passengers), Emirates Airlines Station (150,670 passengers), Dubai Internet City Station (149,549 passengers), Terminal 1 of Dubai International Airport Station (116,000 passengers), Noor Islamic Bank Station (114,581 passengers), Dubai World Trade Center Station (98,805 passengers ), and GGICO Station (93,058 passengers).
In its strategic plan; which is aligned with the Dubai Strategic Plan (Infrastructure Sector), RTA has set top priority to the integration of multi-modal mass transit systems in the emirate; including public buses, Dubai Metro and marine transport modes spanning abra, water bus and water taxi; which has recently been inaugurated recently. Over the next phase, RTA will seek to disseminate the culture of mass transit modes and encourage community members to use them in their daily travels.

“The huge investments pumped by the Government of Dubai to uplift the infrastructure of transportation sector has paid dividends and proved effective. The growth in the number of mass transit mode users reflects a shift in the culture of using public transport by all segments of the community and the drive was particularly helped by the metro service. RTA public transport means, including the Dubai Metro, public buses, water transport and taxis, have lifted more than 288.777 million passengers in 2009 and the daily ridership of mass transit modes topped 842k passengers. This number is likely to grow with the opening of the remaining stations on the Red Line. Dubai Metro is expected to lift about 35 million passengers in 2010, and the number of metro users is expected to pick up sharply with the operation of the Green Line in August 2011 as this line serves vital areas with commercial activities, government offices and high population density,” said Al Tayer in a final remark.

Photo captions:
- Mattar Al Tayer
- Graphic representation of the monthly number of users
- Graphic representation of the daily metro ridership in June
- Dubai Metro ridership on the rise.

Construction works in several stations of Dubai Metro Green Line completed – Al Tayer

Construction works in several stations of Dubai Metro Green Line completed – Al Tayer

Completion rate of stations’ interior finishing works ranges from 10 to 100 per cent

Roads & Transport Authority – Mohammed Al Munji:
H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the Roads & Transport Authority (RTA), announced that construction works in most stations of the Dubai Metro Green Line have been completed, while the completion of stations’ interior finishing works varies from 10 to 100 per cent. Al Tayer revealed that completion rate of Al Qusais Park-and-Ride facility has hit 75 per cent, and confirmed that the project is progressing on schedule towards the planned project opening in August 2011.

The above statement was made during an inspection tour made by Al Tayer of the Dubai Metro Green Line project that took him to the Metro Depot at Al Qusais, Rail Operation Control Center, and the multi-story car park, as well as Etisalat, Al Ittihad, Al Ras and Al Ghubaiba stations.

During the tour, Al Tayer was flanked by the CEO of Rail Agency Adnan Al Hamadi, CEO of Traffic & Roads Agency Maitha bin Udai, Board Member and Head of the Team following up the Hosting of the UITP Congress 2011 in Dubai Mohammed Obaid Al Mulla, Acting CEO of Corporate Administrative Support Services Sector Yousef Jawad Al Rida, and several directors & engineers supervising the project.

Al Tayer set off his tour by inspecting the metro Depot at Al Qusais; a garage constructed for the maintenance & cleaning of the metro carriages, and is fitted with air-conditioners & advanced firefighting systems. It comprises a parking area for train carriages and has a capacity to house 60 trains at a time. It includes Rail Systems Operations Control Center; which ensures the safety of doors, brakes and engines, as well as the air-conditioning systems and other sophisticated electronic sub systems of each train separately. It also contains workshops for carrying out maintenance works, and dedicated workshops for washing and cleaning of train carriages.

Al Tayer inspected the work progress in Rail Systems Operations Control Center; where the contracting company is making the final touches at the Center. Completion rate of the metal structures and external cladding works have almost reached 99%, and the interior finishing works topped 56%. The Center is equipped with state-of-the-art technologies enabling full control of the daily metro operation on both the Red and Green Lines. The Center also provides control, supervision and monitoring of trains traffic & systems through supervising the functionality of the auto train movement and related systems such as the communication systems, electrical transformers, and power feed system for both the rolling stock and the metro stations. It also enables supervision of safety systems such as fire-fighting systems along with ventilation systems in tunnels, stations & trains. The Center also monitors rail air-conditioning systems, and the safety of doors, brakes and engines of each train. It also acts as a point of communication with rail commuters in the event of emergency using the communication systems on board the carriages and the Control Room.

Al Tayer reviewed the work progress in the multi-level Park-and-Ride facility where the completion rate in the parking lot, surrounding roads, bus station and footbridges is nearing 75 per cent. Al Tayer toured the building which has a capacity to house 2350 vehicles and meant to encourage the public to use the metro in their mobility across Dubai Emirate. The building has been designed to provide ample space for feeder buses, ensure smooth traffic flow and accommodate huge numbers of buses at a time. It is also fitted with footbridges linking up with the opposite side of the road to ensure easy and safe access to the metro station, while providing the standard safety measures for passenger movement in the building.
Al Tayer continued his site tour by inspecting the work progress at Etisalat Station; the starting point of the Green Line of Dubai Metro, where the contractor has completed all concrete works, metal structures and platform doors of the station, whereas the completion rate in the external cladding works of the roof reached 63%. The station, which has a capacity to handle 11,000 passengers per hour per direction, measures 130 x 30 meters, and has two entries fitted with escalators and lifts.

Al Tayer then inspected the work progress in Al Ittihad Station; a key transfer stations where the Green and Red Lines meet. The station is considered the world’s biggest metro station spanning an area of 25,000 square meters and has a capacity to handle 22,000 passengers per hour. The Station consists of two levels, extends 230 meters in length and 50 meters in width, and 18 meters in depth. It houses commercial & service outlets for metro users, and has two entry points equipped with lifts & escalators. Four tunnels branch out of the Station bound to Khalid bin Al Waleed & Al Rigga Stations on the Red Line, and Bani Yas & Salah Uddin Stations on the Green Line. Al Tayer attended to a briefing about the work progress in the station, where the contractor has completed concrete works, and metal structures of platform screen doors, as well as interior finishing works, and is currently finalizing electrical and mechanical works.

Al Tayer then inspected the progress of work at Al Ras & Al Ghubaiba Stations; where all construction & civil works have been accomplished and so are the metal structure works in the platforms of the two stations. Completion rate of the interior finishing works exceed 10%. The two stations feature heritage designs depicting the history and legacy of the UAE. The theme of the design revolves around employing the architectural traditional elements used in antique buildings, such as wind towers (Brajeel), oriels (Mashrabia), alleyways (Sukaik), internal arches and others through replicating them in an enhanced manner, while addressing the aesthetic and technical dimensions of those elements such that the heritage-inspired stations would match the traditional Souks in the locality and look like a natural extension of the Heritage & Diving Village, and fit well with the antique control towers currently seen in the area.

At the conclusion of his tour Al Tayer expressed his delight with the work progress in various locations of the project, and commended the efforts of all personnel working tirelessly to accomplish the project. However, he called on the contracting company to commit more efforts to ensure the opening of all stations on time.


Photo captions:
 Al Tayer inspecting the work progress in the metro depot at Al Qusais
 Al Tayer attending to a briefing about the work progress in the Green Line Stations
 Good progress made in the Green Line works
 Metro Depot at Al Qusais

RTA opens bridges leading to entry & exit points of Rashidiya Metro station on 15 July

RTA opens bridges leading to entry & exit points of Rashidiya Metro station on 15 July


Roads & Transport Authority – Mohammed Al Munji:

H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of Roads & Transport Authority (RTA), announced that all bridges leading to the entry and exit points of the Park-and-Ride facilities of Rashidiya Metro Station will be opened on 15 July 2010, as the Contractor is currently making the final touches in preparation for the opening of the bridges.

“The final stage of the project includes opening of 10 bridges with a total length of 1500 meters and roads stretching 2500 meters. These bridges ensure free traffic movements along Emirates Road for traffic inbound from Abu Dhabi towards the Parking of the Metro Station. The project also includes improvements at the juncture of Emirates Road and Al Khawaneej Road to streamline traffic flow inbound from Airport Road towards Al Qusais and Sharjah, as well as traffic inbound from Abu Dhabi and Jebel Ali towards Al Khawaneej Road,” said Al Tayer.

He added: “RTA had already opened Phase I of the project whose cost is estimated as 699 million dirham on 09/09/2009 to coincide with the launch of the Dubai Metro. Phase I comprised the construction of free turns connecting with Emirates Road and Airport Road, in addition to two bridges on Al Khawaneej Road to ease the traffic flow from and to the Parking of Rashidiya Metro Station, which has a capacity to house 2750 vehicles. Phase I also provided entries to the Metro Station on two levels for the traffic incoming from Sharjah with a total length of 1000 meters. Such bridges cross Al Khawaneej Road in the direction leading to the Airport Road.
“Constructing the bridges leading to the entry & exit points of Rashidiya Metro Station reflects RTA attention to upgrade the efficiency of roads network, ensure better flow of vehicular movement, and link the Park-and-Ride facilities of the metro stations with roads network in Dubai Emirate, thus encourage more people to use public transport modes.

“Rashidiya Metro Station is one of the key metro stations as it is the starting point of the Red Line of Dubai Metro. It spans an area of 130 X 30 meters and has a capacity to handle 11,000 passengers per hour per direction. The Station has two entry points fitted with elevators and lifts to ease the smooth entry and exit of passengers from and to the station. The Station has a huge park-and-ride facility capable of accommodating 2750 vehicles with the aim of enticing the public to use the metro in their travel within Dubai. The ground level is dedicated to public buses which provide feeder service to the metro stations. Therefore it has been custom-built to accommodate articulated & double-deck buses, and ensure smooth traffic of a large number of buses at a time. The parking lot is linked with footbridges connecting with the opposite side of the road leading to the metro station such that the time spent from the farthest point in a which a vehicle may be parked to the entrance of the station will not exceed 3 minutes. All required safety precautions are well in place inside the parking facility,” elaborated Al Tayer.

RTA Chairman of the Board and Executive Director concluded his remarks saying: “RTA will continue with the construction works on several main and arterial road projects in Dubai to ensure integrated transit systems in the context of its strategy to provide advanced services to all residents, and provide comprehensive solutions ensuring seamless traffic flow in keeping with its vision of providing Safe & Smooth Transport for All across the Emirate.

Captions:
• Mattar Al Tayer
• Layout of bridges leading to Rashidiya Metro Station Project

RTA opens key bridges in the 1st Interchange of SZR on May 30th

RTA opens key bridges in the 1st Interchange of SZR on May 30th

Al Tayer: Project completion hits 80%, final completion in Dec 2010

Roads & Transport Authority – Mohammed Al Munji:

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.

Caption:
 Mattar Al Tayer
 Overview describing the work progress in the Interchange
 A layout showing the parts to be opened in the project

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

Completion rate hits 50% at Rashid Hospital tunnels, 75% at surrounding roads project: Al Tayer

Completion rate hits 50% at Rashid Hospital tunnels, 75% at surrounding roads project: Al Tayer

H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of Roads & Transport Authority (RTA), announced that 50 per cent of Rashid Hospital Tunnels had been completed and preparations had been made for the basic traffic diversion under Phase II of the project which would enable the contractor construct the remaining tunnel units. 19 tunnel units out of a total 30 units had been completed which accounted for 65% of the required works under the initial phase of the project. Installation of the electromechanical fittings would be initiated after opening the second stage of the traffic diversion. Works in surface roads outside the tunneling area had so far reached a 75 per cent completion rate.

“Rashid Hospital Tunnels Project; which costs about 705 million dirham, is part of RTA master plan to alleviate traffic jams in the vicinity of Rashid Hospital and improve traffic flow in the area. Upon completion of the project the capacity of roads within the project zone is set to rise to about 6000 vehicles per hour” stated Al Tayer.

“The project comprises construction of roads and two tunnels to serve the traffic inbound from Tariq bin Ziyad and Umm Harir Roads and outbound to the intersection of Riyadh Road with the extension of the Floating Bridge, with each tunnel comprising two lanes in width. The first tunnel branches out of Tariq bin Ziyad Road beneath Al Maktoum Bridge, and the second tunnel, inbound from Umm Harir Road, passes through Oud Maitha Park, and the two tunnels converge to make a 4-lane tunnel heading to Riyadh Road via Rashid Hospital. The project also encompasses converting Riyadh Road intersection with the extension of the Floating Bridge into a 4-lane road. A road will be constructed to serve the traffic inbound from the Floating Bridge heading towards Tariq bin Ziyad Road” added Al Tayer.

Tellingly, RTA undertook several projects in this area of Bur Dubai to ease traffic bottlenecks and increase the intake of roads in order to cater to the urban expansion and resulting vehicular traffic. RTA had constructed the Floating Bridge, which is just half a kilometer off Al Maktoum Bridge, comprising 6 lanes extending from the surface intersection near City Center and Dubai Golf Club (Deira) and terminating at the would-be constructed intersection at Riyadh Road. The project included modifications with the aim of improving the efficiency of the intersection in the vicinity of Riyadh Road; where R/As on the way to the Creek Park had been converted into signalized junctures. The project also involved construction of an extra lane linking between Khalid bin Al Waleed and Oud Maitha Roads on the one hand, and Al Ittihad Road and Deira on the other.

RTA had also widened Al Maktoum Bridge from 9 to 11 lanes and the project also encompassed widening of roads leading to the Bridge and the approach to the Bridge at Umm Harir Road from two to three lanes; which added to the capacity eased the flow of traffic inbound from Sheikh Zayed Road towards Deira. It also included the improvement of Khalid bin Al Waleed Road to ease the pressure on this vital road in order to improve its traffic flow towards Deira. Bridge improvement and widening works also included increasing the number of lanes from Deira heading to Bur Dubai from 4 to 6 lanes spanning the total length of the Bridge.

Al Tayer stressed that RTA would carry on with the improvement of key roads in the city of Dubai as part of the vital projects undertaken to upgrade and improve roads, and provide advanced services at residential areas; which is part of the strategy and ongoing endeavours of the RTA to keep pace with the urbanization drive, and meet the requirements of growth and demographic expansion in the Emirate.
Caption:
 Mattar Al Tayer
 Work in Rashid Hospital Tunnels progresses according to plan
 Work progress in the roads surrounding the tunnel area

RTA: Dubai Metro Red Line to be completed in April 2010, Green Line in August 2011

RTA: Dubai Metro Red Line to be completed in April 2010, Green Line in August 2011

Al Tayer: 7 Metro Stations on the Red Line to be operated on 25 April 2010

Roads & Transport Authority – Mohammed Al Munji:
H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of Roads & Transport Authority (RTA), announced that the Contractor of Dubai Metro Project; Dubai Rail Link (DURL) Consortium; is set to complete all the remaining works in the stations on the Red Line (18 stations) on 25 April 2010, and that all works in the stations on the Green Line will be completed in August 2011.
“The operation of Red Line stations will be in phases starting from April 25th, 2010; where several key stations will be operational; namely Emirates Station, Airport Terminal 1 Station, GGICO Station, Al Karama Station, World Trade Center Station, Marina Station, and Ibn Battuta Station. The remaining stations will be operated over the following months of 2010” added Al Tayer.
He summarized the criteria upon which the stations to be operated on 25 April 2010 had been selected as: “availability of population density in the locality served by each station so as to provide convenient services to the inhabitants in the neighbourhood, availability of commercial activities in the area served by each station, availability of government activities in the vicinity of each station, the station integration with other transport modes such as buses & water transport means, and the projected number of commuters at each station”.
Al Tayer explained that RTA has agreed with DURL Consortium undertaking Dubai Metro Project to prioritize the outstanding works of the project. “RTA will provide the biggest portion of cash injections out of its budget allocated by the Government of Dubai to cover the cost of the additional works on the Red & Green Lines, add new stations to meet the needs of property development projects, add a depot to accommodate the resultant increase in the capacity, and increase the number of footbridges linking with the metro stations to enable the public use the metro easily. The remaining portion of additional works’ cost will be funded through the project Contractor” said Al Tayer in a final remark.
Captions
 Mattar Al Tayer
 Completion of main works at the metro stations

Project completion hits 97% in Rashidiya Metro Station bridges, 95% in Meydan bridges: Al Tayer

Project completion hits 97% in Rashidiya Metro Station bridges, 95% in Meydan bridges: Al Tayer

Roads & Transport Authority – Mohammed Al Munji:
H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of Roads & Transport Authority (RTA), announced that project completion has reached 97 per cent in the bridges at the approaches of the entry/exit points of Rashidiya Metro Station, and 95 per cent of bridges and roads leading to Meydan Racecourse at Nad al-Sheba area.

Bridges leading to Rashidiya Metro Station are currently undergoing final touches by the contracting company in preparation for opening. The project includes construction of directional ramps at the intersection of Emirates Road and Khawaneej Road. It also includes construction of two bridges at Khawaneej Road in order to facilitate vehicular movement from and to the Park and Ride facility of Rashidiya Metro Station with a total length of 2.5 km. Early last year RTA has opened phase one of the project involving a bridge leading to the entry of the Parking lot of the station; which has a capacity to house about 2700 vehicles.

“Construction of the project, which costs about 699 million dirham, comes as part of RTA drive to improve and upgrade the network of main roads in the emirate of Dubai, and link the Park-and-Ride facilities of the metro stations with the roads network within Dubai Emirate. Rashidiya Station is one of the key metro stations as it is the starting point of Dubai Metro Red Line. The station extends 130 meters in length and 30 meters in width and has a capacity to handle 11,000 passengers per hour per direction. The station has two entry points fitted with escalators and lifts to ease the movement of commuters to and from the station, and a multi-level parking lot with a capacity to accommodate 2714 vehicles in order to encourage the public to use the metro in their travels across the emirate. The ground floor of the complex has been designated for public transport modes that feed the station, and has been designed to accommodate articulated and double-deck buses and to ensure smooth traffic flow and accommodate a large number of buses at a time. The building has also been linked with footbridges extending to the opposite side of the road leading to the metro station such that the period needed to travel from the farthest point of a parking slot will not exceed 3 minutes, while addressing all safety aspects of passenger movement within the parking lot.

Al Tayer revealed that construction of Roads & Bridges Project leading to Meydan Racecourse reached an advanced stage and the contractor is about to finalize the project which encompasses construction of bridges extending 2025 meters, including two entry/exit bridges extending 710 meters and a VIP bridge linking Meydan with Dubai-Al Ain Road extending 1315 meters.

“Construction works in the project will be finalized with the launch of the 15th Dubai World Cup on 27 March 2010. The bridges will serve Meydan project; which covers an area of 76 million square feet and encompasses the biggest horseracing racetrack in the world in addition to an hotel, golf courses, malls, recreational facilities, modern stables, Godolphin gallery, waterways, restaurants and parking lots for about 10,000 vehicles.

Photo caption:
 Mattar Al Tayer
 Layout of bridges leading to Rashidiya Station Project
 Layout of bridges leading to Meydan Project

RTA Opens Burj Dubai Metro Station on Monday, deploys 11 Feeder buses

RTA Opens Burj Dubai Metro Station on Monday, deploys 11 Feeder buses


Opening of the station is synchronized with the opening of Burj Dubai


Roads & Transport Authority – Mohammed Al Munji:

H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of Roads & Transport Authority (RTA), announced that RTA will officially open Burj Dubai metro station on Monday 04 January 2010 to mark the opening of Burj Dubai the tallest tower in the world.

“Burj Dubai is one of the elevated metro stations with the concourse and platform situated at a level upper than the elevated metro track, extending 132 meters in length and 29 meters in width. The station has a capacity to handle 11 thousand passengers per hour per direction, and has two entry points fitted with escalators together with lifts. According to the currently available indicators, the station is expected to be used by about 10 thousand passengers everyday; and the daily number is set to rise during weekends and holidays to 19 thousand persons”.

RTA Chairman and Executive Director added: “Burj Dubai Station mainly serves Burj Dubai district, which spans an area of 45 million square feet. It harbours residential, commercial, and recreational facilities as well as restaurants, retail outlets, the world’s tallest tower Burj Dubai, Dubai Mall, 30 thousand residential units, 9 world-class hotels, 19 residential towers, and a Boulevard measuring 73m in width and 3.5km length. The Station also serves in the other side of the road Jumeirah 2; which has a high population density.

“RTA has deployed 11 buses to operate on two routes to feed Burj Dubai Station, where six buses will operate on Route F13 at 10 minutes interval. The Route links Burj Dubai Station with Burj Dubai area; which includes Dubai Mall, The Palace & The Address hotels, the Boulevard and other locations in the area. Route F16 has 5 buses operating at 10 minutes interval to link Burj Dubai Station with Jumeirah 2. Buses start off the Station and pass across Mazaya Center, Al Wasl Road and Al Uruba Road before heading back to the Metro Station.

“The shell-shaped metro stations had been purposely built to enhance safety and security of the public as the design was intended to be clear, simple and with minimum walking distance. Entry points of stations are integrated with other transport modes; providing a link with pedestrian movement and communication with the ambient environment of the station. The interior design of the metro stations is inspired by the four elements of nature; air, earth, fire and water, and a heritage-themed design will be applied to Al Ras and Al Ghubaiba Stations.

The circular passenger movement at the stations will flow smoothly allowing a visibility range that does not rely on excessive signage. Therefore the areas available at the station lounges were intended to be free from clustered elements and barriers as much as possible in order to maintain optical communication. Moreover, the stations have been designed to be fully equipped with accessories and facilities to serve disabled travelers, strollers and commuters with personal luggage.

Captions:

Mattar Al Tayer
Burj Dubai Station ready for receiving passengers on January 4th

RTA supports clients with 164 e-services

RTA supports clients with 164 e-services


Dubai is the 5th cosmopolitan city to apply Journey Planner system


Al Tayer: 1m Nol cards sold in 4 months, used in 48m transaction


15m hits to RTA website in 8 months
m-Parking service covers all paid parking zones in the Emirate
Online auction to be launched in 2010


Roads & Transport Authority – Mohammed Al Munji:

H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board & Executive Director of Roads & Transport Authority (RTA), announced that the total number of e-services offered by the RTA has reached 164 services (procedural and informational) representing all services rendered online compared to 24 e-services offered in 2007 and 116 e-services in 2008. RTA has achieved a 100% transition to e-services in respect of all the services agreed to in advance with Dubai e-Government. RTA is currently pondering launching extra services that could possibly be switched online and drawing up the work plans for their implementation. Meanwhile RTA website is receiving soaring number of visitors clocking 15 million hits during the period from May to December 2009, with more than 5.5 million pages surfed, reflecting a 37% rise in the number of new visitors.

“From inception, RTA shouldered the responsibility of uplifting the level of customer service and was keen on diversifying the channels of delivering them, at the top of which was the internet. For this end, RTA developed an integrated strategy for switching the delivery of services online in accordance with the vision of Dubai e-Government. Such a strategy was based on prompt delivery and customer centricity in coordination with the e-government in the context of the drive to showcase the e-services of the RTA, and use the standards & benchmarks of Dubai e-Government such as eServices Quality Framework. Meanwhile RTA assigned due consideration to the feedback of Dubai e-Government made in the course of e-services quality assessment report about the design and content of the portal” said Al Tayer.

He added: “RTA was keen on dedicating special WebPages on the main portal for affiliated agencies such as Licensing, Rail, Traffic & Roads, Marine and Public Transport agencies. This makes it easy to surf and expedite the retrieval of data required by clients and listing the e-services agency wise. RTA website is being linked with the portals of government department such as Dubai Police and Dubai Municipality; enabling surfers to move instantly to inquire and pay traffic offences online without having to physically move to Police Stations. RTA has also made a link-up with several other bodies such as insurance companies, and forwarding & courier companies to provide delivery service for driving licenses, and renewed registration cards. It also established a link with the approved eyesight testing centers for driving license applicants where the examiner enters the details directly in the shared database. This enables the customer to review the status of his or her application, expedite RTA processing of transactions, and speed up the delivery of licenses to clients through their specified address.

The initiatives and activities undertaken by the RTA in the field of e-services have contributed to facilitating customer service procedures. For instance two e-services related to driving licenses and vehicle registration cards have been launched online with a view to adding new and diverse channels for processing transactions without having to visit the service location.

Through the Toll Gate system website (Salik) it is possible to register a new vehicle, add another vehicle to an existing Salik account, review the offences, check the functioning of the system, and find out the locations of Salik Toll Gates, in addition to developing a new service such as submission of complaints online, and m-Pay service, which enables the client add an e-balance either online, through the IVR channels or the mobile phone.

Launched in May 2009, the m-Parking service enables payment of parking fees through the mobile phone without having to go to the parking pay machine or carry coins. The user has to send an SMS to the number 7275 including the vehicle plate’s number, zone code, and the parking time requested. The system sends a confirmatory SMS to the user, and automatically transmits the vehicle number plate to the parking attendant stating that the parking fee of this vehicle has been paid. It also sends a reminder SMS to the user 10 minutes before the expiry of the ticket, and the number of system users has now grown to half a million users. All paid parking zones in the Emirate of Dubai have been covered by the m-Parking service. In the initial phase about 220 machines had been installed covering Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai Internet City and Dubai Media City. In Phase II all paid parking zones in Bur Dubai were covered through installation of 1547 machines, and in the last phase all paid parking zones in Deira had been covered with 1546 machines.

NOL

RTA Chairman and Executive Director said: “The Automated Fare Card branded as Nol Card is one the electronically sophisticated systems across the world offering the best and easiest service to the users of various transport systems spanning Dubai Metro, public buses, water bus and paid parking machines. The number of cards sold since the Nol card had been rolled out on 22 August 2009 up to 22 December 2009 reached 1,041,000 cards, whereas the number of transactions in which Nol cards were used from the date of official launch on 09.09.09 to mid of December 2009 exceeded 48 million transactions, of which 262,000 transactions were related to the payment of parking fees”.

The card is easy to obtain & use; the user has just to add a balance to the card enabling him or her various transport options. The fare will be automatically calculated on the basis of pay as you go. The card is safe, difficult to forge and manufactured by multiple manufacturers at world-class standards. The card design addresses the future requirements of e-payment systems allowing for the possibility of adding multiple and diverse services.

Online Auction

“In January 2010 RTA will launch the Online Auction System; which is bound to bring about a quality shift in the services of vehicle number plates offered by Licensing Agency, and add enhanced efficiency & quality to the processes” revealed the Chairman of the Board & Executive Director of the RTA. Number plates not designated for open auction used to be sold at their nominal values to the first ordering customer; this caused indignation of some customers who were interested in these numbers who were not able to attend at that time. “The system will prop-up revenues as such numbers used to be sold at their nominal value, and it will also reduce the congestion at the Licensing centers once a new code is released enabling customers to buy the numbers not designated for public auction in an expedited manner before being bought by other customers; which will also save time and effort of employees, and reduce the complaints sent to Plates Section” he noted.

Wojhati

Al Tayer stated that RTA was keen to deliver top-class services to users of mass transport system with a view to encouraging individuals to switch from using private vehicles to mass transit modes in their travels. For this end RTA has developed an integrated package of programs & systems that will facilitate the use of public buses in the form of Wojhati (Journey Planner). Dubai Emirate has become only the fifth city worldwide to apply the system after London, New York, Munich and Melbourne. The system provides full details required by mass transit mode users such as calculating the journey fare, identifying the easiest & fastest means of reaching a certain destination, establishing the prescribed walking distance before arrival at the first point of using transport means, the walking distance after arrival at the nearest point to the intended destination of the user, and the number times of changing buses in case the service is routed through interchanging points. The program also offers bus schedules, bus route maps, and route destinations, besides providing all information related to bus stops in a single journey. The program has been designed to cover all Dubai Emirate, and users can inquire about the mass transit modes, and how to use and access them by adding destinations to the fields provided in the program.

Digital Space

RTA has uploaded public transport data (such as bus routes, metro lines and water bus lines) on Google Maps; thus Dubai has become the first city in the Middle East and North Africa regions to add its public transport data to Google Maps. Such feature will offer public transport users, including residents, visitors and tourists of the emirate, to plan their daily travels in advance through this simple and technology which is accessible to all interested users 24 hours a day.

Al Tayer stated that RTA launched Sharekni service; enabling individuals to car-pool a single vehicle to and from the workplaces. The website acts as an intermediary between the service users, where they can rideshare a single vehicle; a step which will contribute to cutting congestion and reducing carbon emissions. The number of registered individuals since the launch of the service in July 2008 has exceeded 140,000 registered individuals. RTA has also launched employee transportation service on buses, known as Awselni in June 2008; where the service has attracted 1719 employees transported in 16 buses and the program is receiving monthly growth injections of 14%.

Al Tayer further added: “Innovative e-services have been unleashed such as booking taxicabs online; a unique service in the region. There is also the system of booking taxicabs using SMS, and the automatic tracking of vehicles, both launched with a view to providing advanced and high quality public transport services to the public in Dubai Emirate. The system provides instant bus tracking system 24 hours a day, and establishes a link between buses enabling them to reach destinations on time. It facilitates the process of bus management through a central bus control unit, where the employee at the Center can make any changes that constantly require bus traveling on the approved timing.


Al Tayer concluded: “RTA has also launched virtual transportation service; a 3-dimensional tool enabling users to identify four types of metro stations in a virtual mode to experiment these stations in a pictorial tour. The aim of the service is to reach the largest possible number of the public, educate them on the features of the integrated transport system provided by the RTA, and encouraging them to use mass transit modes instead of private vehicles”.

Photos:

Mattar Al Tayer
Public up-taking Nol cards
Wojhati places Dubai at the top of countries using Journey Planner
Nol card portal
Divers services through RTA website

Al Tayer: 80% of construction works of some Dubai Metro Station Green Line completed

Al Tayer: 80% of construction works of some Dubai Metro Station Green Line completed

Construction works completion, train operation set for the second half 2010

Roads & Transport Authority – Mohammed Al Munji:
H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the Dubai Roads & Transport Authority (RTA), revealed that the completion rate in constructing several stations on the Green Line of Dubai Metro ranges from 50% to 80%, and emphasized that the project is running on schedule such that the opening and start of operation will be in the second half of 2010.
Al Tayer made this announcement during a tour he recently made to inspect the work progress in the Green Line Stations of Dubai Metro project, which took him to Al Qusais Depot, the Command & Control Center, the multi-level Park-and-Ride facilities, Al Nahdah Station, Bani Yas Station, and Al Ras Station. During the tour Al Tayer was accompanied by the CEO of Rail Agency Abdul Majeed Al Khaja and several directors and engineers supervising the project.
Al Tayer set off his tour by inspecting the metro Depot at Al Qusais, where construction works have exceeded 70%. The Depot; a garage for maintaining & cleaning of metro carriages, is fitted with air-conditioners and advanced firefighting systems. It comprises a parking area for train carriages and has a capacity to house 60 trains at a time. It includes Rail Operations Systems Control Center; which ensures the safety of doors, brakes and engines in each train separately, as well as the air-conditioning systems and other sophisticated sub systems. It also contains workshops for carrying out maintenance works, and dedicated workshops for washing and cleaning of train carriages.
Al Tayer then inspected the work progress in Trains Systems Control Center; which is fitted with the state-of-the-art technologies enabling full control of the daily metro operation on both the Red and Green Lines. The Center also provides control, supervision and monitoring of rail traffic & systems through supervising the functionality of the auto train movement, communication systems, electrical transformers, and power feed system for both the trains and metro stations. It also enables supervision of safety systems such as fire-fighting systems, ventilation systems in tunnels, stations & trains in addition to rail air-conditioning systems, and safety of doors, brakes and engines of each train. The Center also acts as a point of communication with rail commuters in the event of emergency through the communication systems on board the carriages and the Control Room.
Al Tayer reviewed the work progress in the multi-level Park-and-Ride facility which has a capacity to house 2350 vehicles in order to encourage the public use the metro in their mobility within the emirate of Dubai. The building has been designed to provide ample space for feeder buses, ensure smooth traffic flow and accommodate huge numbers of cars at the same time. It is also fitted with footbridges linking up with the other opposite side of the road in order to provide easy and safe access to the metro station, while providing all the standard safety measures for passenger movement in the building.
Al Tayer completed his site tour by inspecting the work progress at Al Nahdah Station; an elevated station that has a capacity of about 11,00 passengers per hour in each direction. The station extends about 130 meters in length and 30 meters in width and has two entry points fitted with escalators and lifts. Al Tayer toured the station in which the completion rate reached about 50%, where he directed to expedite the completion of electromechanical works and installation of escalators in the station.
H.E. Mattar Al Tayer moved on to inspect the work progress at Bani Yas Station; which is one of six underground stations on the Green Line. The station measures about 144 meters in length and has a width ranging from 22 meters to 53 meters with a capacity to handle about 8,000 passengers per hour. He toured the station which contains wide areas to be invested in various commercial activities such as restaurants, cafes, convenient stores, property showrooms, bank services and ATMs. Construction works in the station have reached an advanced stage exceeding 80% while the completion of internal decorations has hit 80% as well.
Al Tayer then inspected the work progress at Al Ras Station; where construction works exceeded 50%. The station is one of two stations that feature heritage design illustrating the history and legacy of the UAE. The theme of the design revolves around employing the architectural traditional elements used in antique buildings, such as wind towers (Brajeel), oriel (mashrabia), alleyways (sukaik), internal arches and others through replicating them in an enhanced manner, while taking into consideration the aesthetic and technical dimensions of those elements such that the heritage-inspired stations would match the traditional souqs in the locality and look like a natural extension of the Heritage & Diving Village, fitting well with the antique & existing control towers in the area.
Upon concluding his tour Al Tayer expressed his delight with the work progress in various locations of the project, and commended the efforts of all personnel working tirelessly to complete the project. However, he called on the contracting company to do more to ensure opening of all stations on time.

Photo captions:
 Al Tayer inspecting the work progress in the metro stations
 Al Tayer attending to a briefing about the work progress at Al Qusais Depot

Construction works in 19 stations on Dubai Metro Red Line completed, operation to start in Feb 2010

Construction works in 19 stations on Dubai Metro Red Line completed, operation to start in Feb 2010

Al Tayer: Completion of electromechanical works hits 80-97%

Roads and Transport Authority – Mohammed Al Munji:
H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) revealed that all construction works on the 19 stations on the Red Line of Dubai Metro have been completed, and that electromechanical works in the said stations range from 80 to 97%, adding that RTA is all set to phase out the opening of the stations in February 2010.
The announcement was made during an inspection visit made by Al Tayer that included the Command & Control Center at Rashidiya, and 10 other stations on the Red Line of Dubai Metro. During the tour Al Tayer was accompanied by the CEO of Rail Agency Abdul Majeed Al Khaja, Director of Rail Construction Dep’t Adnan Al Hamadi and several other directors and engineers overseeing the project.
Al Tayer set off his visit by inspecting the Command & Control Center at Rashidiya; which is one of the superior and most sophisticated control centers in the Middle East. Scheduled for inauguration in February 2010, the Center will enable full control of the daily operation of the metro service on both the Red and Green Lines.
The Center will be a hub for controlling, supervising and monitoring train movement and related systems through monitoring the performance of automated systems that govern the movement of trains, as well as the functioning of telecommunication systems, electrical transformers, and power feeders to both the rolling stock and the metro stations. It will also enable supervision of safety systems such as fire extinguishing and firefighting services, ventilation systems of tunnels, stations and trains, train air-conditioning systems as well as the safety of doors, brakes and engines on each train separately. The Center also provides a means of communication with train passengers through on board communications system fitted in the carriages and control room to be used in emergency conditions.
His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer then inspected Emirates Station, where electromechanical works completion rate has hit 90%. H.E. directed that work should commence expeditiously on construction of roads, bus stations and landscaping in the area surrounding the station. Continuing his tour, Al Tayer then visited the station of Terminal 1 of Dubai International Airport, the construction of which is funded by Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, according to an agreement signed in this regard between the RTA and Dubai Civil Aviation Authority. The Station, together with Terminal 3 Station, is considered a key station on the Red Line that serves a huge portion of passenger traffic from and to Dubai International Airport.
H.E. Chairman of the Board and Executive Director continued his inspection tour by visiting GGICO Metro Station at Garhoud area which serves a large number of schools in the area. Electrical and mechanical works completion is nearing 88% in the station. Then, Al Tayer inspected work progress at Karama Metro Station where electromechanical works completed have reached an advanced stage exceeding 95%.
This station serves highly densely populated areas and will, upon operation, contribute considerably to increasing the number of Dubai Metro ridership. The Station comprises a footbridge stretching 157 metres connecting the station to the two sides of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Street.
H.E. Mattar Al Tayer then inspected Dubai World Trade Center Station where electrical and mechanical works have been completed. Pilot technical testing of the station is underway to ascertain its preparedness for operation. His Excellency directed work to be commenced immediately on the provision of sufficient parking for buses and taxis to serve the station users including those commuters who visit Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre which hosts over 60 international exhibitions annually spanning a wide range of sectors.
His Excellency also inspected work progress in Emirates Towers Metro Station in which completion rate is as high as 95%. Final touches are now being made on the station in preparation for the technical trial run. He also inspected work progress at Burj Dubai Station, which serves Burj Dubai; the world’s tallest building constructed in the heart of the most stunning structures on earth. Built as part of mixed use estate development in the Emirate, Burj Dubai comprises Dubai Mall, the largest shopping centre in the world, the “Old Town” and residential towers overlooking a man-made lake constructed as part of the project with a central “dancing fountain” considered to be the tallest and most beautiful of its kind in the world. Burj Dubai Station will be connected with passenger transport bus service from the Station to the Burj Dubai area and back.
H.E. Chairman of the Board and Executive Director continued his tour by inspecting work progress at the Al Qouz and Dubai Marina Stations, in which electromechanical works completion rate is 85%. He concluded his tour by inspecting Ibn Battuta Station with electromechanical works completion reaching 95%. He was briefed on the bus service provided by RTA Public Transport Agency to transport passengers from Ibn Battuta Mall to Nakheel Harbour & Tower Station and back. Regular service is provided for passengers shuttling between the station and the Mall.
In concluding his inspection tour, His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer expressed his delight with the progress of work in various project locations and commended the diligent & tireless efforts being made by the workers to complete the project. He called on the company carrying out the project to do more in order to complete to complete the job and get of all of the stations opened as scheduled.

Photo:
- Mattar Al Tayer inspecting work progress at Metro Stations
- Al Tayer briefed on work progress at Command & Control Centre of Rail Systems.