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HE Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), has held a coordinative meeting with HE Major General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police, to discuss ways and means of boosting cooperation in fields of common concern, such as traffic safety, vehicle licensing and streamlining the movement of heavy trucks.
Al Tayer stressed the importance of these coordinative meetings as they offer a direct communication channel for reviewing new developments at the two parties in an array of matters relating to the safety of roads and mass transit means for the ultimate benefit of citizens and residents of Dubai. “The RTA and Dubai Police GHQ are among key government entities in Dubai and share multiple tasks of serving the overall goals of Dubai Government to ensure security, safe & smooth mobility and people happiness,” said Al Tayer.
HE Major General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri praised RTA’s efforts and the strategic partnership between the Dubai Police GHQ and the RTA; which is continuously on the up. “Such partnership contributes to the joint business and realising the objectives of disseminating security, safety, tranquillity and happiness amongst citizens and residents of this blessed land,” noted Al Marri. He also commended the efforts of the joint teams in boosting the coordination as regards traffic management and enforcement.
The meeting reviewed the strategic and executive plans of roads and transport modelled after the highest international practices. Such plans are based on five key pillars, namely constructing and widening of the existing network of roads, bridges and tunnels. The total length of roads from 2006 to 2017 has jumped by as much as 92%. Thanks to the efforts of the RTA, the UAE has been ranked Number One worldwide in the quality roads over the past five years. The number of bridges has leapfrogged by 324%, the number of lanes crossing Dubai Creek has vaulted by 153%, and the number of pedestrian tunnels has skyrocketed to 354% during the same period.
Pillars also include improving mass transit systems comprising trains, trams, buses, and marine transit modes. More than 551 million riders have used these modes in 2017 at a rate of 1.511 m riders per day. They also include benefiting from traffic and transport systems, apps and technologies to achieve the highest efficiency of roads and public transport systems, and boosting the integration of various transport systems and the uses of land. They also include developing policies capable of curbing the huge reliance on private vehicles in mobility with a view to increasing the reliance on other mobility means such public transport, car-pooling, walking and cycling. Ownership of private vehicles in Dubai is one vehicle per two persons, while this rate is one vehicle per 10 persons in Singapore.
The meeting discussed snarls triggered by the rapid demographic growth in Dubai where population currently account for about 31% of the entire UAE populace. It also discussed the massive increase in the number of vehicles by as much as 240% from 2006 to 2017 and the intensive traffic incoming from the Northern Emirates. About 1.12 m vehicles enter and exit from Dubai every day, and the traffic movement on Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, Ittihad Road and Emirates Road has soared from 73 to 82%. Discussions also touched on the variation of prohibited timing of heavy vehicles in some highways of the UAE, such as the Emirates Road, which causes congestions and accidents.
The RTA presented its plans for improving public transport services between Dubai and the northern Emirates including the opening of new bus routes between Dubai and Sharjah and providing ferry service between Al Ghubaiba in Dubai and Al Khan in Sharjah. Projects also include studying providing designated lanes for express buses between the two Emirates on Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road and Al Ittihad Road, besides streamlining the timing of trucks movement on Emirates Road.
Attendees of the meeting from Dubai Police GHQ included Brigadier Mohammed Nasir Al Razooqi, Director-General of Transport and Rescue, Colonel Dr Salih Al Hamrani, Deputy Director-General of Excellence and Leadership, and Colonel Juma bin Suwaidan, Deputy Director-General of Traffic. Attendees from the RTA included Eng. Maitha bin Adai, CEO of Traffic and Roads Agency, Nasser Abu Shehab, CEO of Strategy and Corporate Governance Sector, Hussain Al Banna, Executive Director of Traffic at Traffic and Roads Agency, and a host of directors.
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