HE Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), has received a Turkish delegation headed by HE Arif Emecen, Director General of İstanbul Electric Tram & Tünel Company (IETT). He was accompanied by Hasan Ozcelik, Deputy Director General of IETT, and several other officials.

The meeting discussed means of boosting cooperation and exchanging expertise between the two parties on matters related to public transport.

Al Tayer reviewed RTA’s efforts in migration from the use of private vehicles to public transport means. “From inception, RTA focused on improving public transport to make it the ideal mobility choice of people in Dubai with the aim of raising the share of public transport in people mobility to as much as 30% by 2030. RTA’s efforts in this regard have yielded a sustained growth of public transport riders. Accordingly, the proportion of public transport means (metro, tram, buses and marine transit modes) in the people mobility has picked up from 6% in 2006 to 16% in 2016, and the rate will jump to 24% if we add taxi riders. Such a steady growth indicates that the RTA has succeeded in forging a change in the culture of various community members towards the use of public transport means,” he commented.

“The RTA has carried out an array of mega & vital public transport projects highlighted by the 75 km-long Dubai Metro; the longest driverless metro network worldwide, and the 11 km-long Dubai Tram. The RTA has also built up massive fleets of public buses and taxis as well as integrated marine transit systems. The public transport system in Dubai has become vital for the daily movement of people and visitors. Last year, public transport means in Dubai served 543.6 m riders at a rate of about 1.5 m riders per day.

“The RTA has introduced sophisticated technologies in operating mass transit systems such as the unified NOL card used for paying fares of various mass transit systems covering the metro, tram, buses, water taxi, and taxis. It has also broadened the scope of smart services,” added Al Tayer.

HE Arif Emecen expressed admiration of mega projects undertaken by the RTA in developing the infrastructure of roads & transportation. He expressed his desire of boosting the strategic partnership & positive relationships with the RTA in the field of public transport.