RTA wins 8 (DGEP) awards

The Official Monthly Magazine of Dubai`s RTA
Issue No. 83 May 2015
RTA wins 8 (DGEP) awards
Dubai Metro expands
toward Expo 2020
Corporate Excellence
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has bagged eight awards in the
most important race for excellence between various Dubai Government
entities i.e. the Dubai Government Excellence Program (DGEP) 2015.
The achievement merited commendation of HH Sheikh Mohammed
bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE and
Ruler of Dubai; and HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al
Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of the Executive Council.
On this occasion, we are honored to offer sincere thanks and appreciation
to HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and HH Sheikh Hamdan
bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, for their unlimited patronage of
RTA’s excellence drive. Thanks are also due to our employees for their
tireless efforts and the team spirit they have exhibited enabling the RTA
to clinch these coveted awards.
What makes this wholesome achievement a standout in the 18th
DGEP is the superior corporate excellence of RTA to other entities
of the Dubai Government. Six of the awards won by RTA were at the
corporate level and two at the individual level. For the second year in a
row , we scooped the Government Entity Sponsoring Creativity award.
We have made a breakthrough success by winning for the first time the
Best Government Entity in Customers Satisfaction award (main entities)
scoring 95% satisfaction rating. RTA also won the Creative Idea award
for the (Smart Journeys Initiative). Inaddition, the RTA bagged the
Distinctive Administrative Initiative award for Labeh (Here to Help), and
the Distinctive Work Team award in recognition of the efforts of Team 11,
which oversaw the Dubai Tram project. We also grabbed the Distinctive
Inter-Governmental Project award with the Department of Islamic Affairs
and Charitable Activities (Dubai Hands). At the individual level, RTA won
the Creative Employee award (Khalifa Humaid bin Dhaiban) and the
Unsung Hero award (Abdul Haleem Mano).
This mega achievement franks the soundness of the approach adopted
by RTA in implementing modern administrative concepts, working in a
team spirit, and nurturing creativity & innovation through motivating &
qualifying employees. It is also attributed to the perfect work environment
provided and efforts made to keep pace with successive developments
made in various fields.
In closing, we renew our pledge to HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid
Al Maktoum to pursue the model charted by HH for achieving more
successes and excellent achievements.
Mattar Al Tayer
Chairman of the Board and Executive Director
06 RTA wins 8 (DGEP) awards
Our News
14
AED 26 million for the
owners of taxi plates
numbers
16
Dubai Metro
expands toward
Expo 2020
19
Al Shaibani commends the
efforts of the Authority in
Dubai getting Platinum rank
20
Exhibition (Dubai
Achievements) put
(The Canal) to the
attention of visitors
26
Reciprocal
Ads
Initiative
‫‏‬Advice on decreasing vehicle movement during bad weather
‫ ‏‬l Masar warns against possible increase in
A
accidents during rainfall
CONTENTS
06
Achievements
19
(Transportation Pulse) contributed to
the rationalization of expenditures by
more than 200 million AED
22
(Dubai Taxi) raises the
operational efficiency of its
fleet to 97%
Our projects
29
32
Starting work in the development
of Wafi intersection
30
The completion of 40% of the
first phase of Dubai Canal
Zero pedestrian deaths in five
main roads in 2013 and 2014
34
(Building Information
Modeling) controls the quality
of infrastructure projects
34
19
Cover Story
RTA wins 8 awards
Mohammed bin Rashid honors
the winners of DGEP 2015
HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister
and Ruler of Dubai (may Allah protect him), honored in the presence of HH Sheikh
Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and
Chairman of the Executive Council, and HH Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin
Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Vice President of the Executive
Council, the winners of Dubai Government institutions and departments in
the Government Excellence program the 18th, in a solemn ceremony held at
the(DWTC).
HH Sheikh Mohammed
bin Rashid Al Maktoum,
stressed that each Excellence in the Government deserves thanks, each creative
is worthy of pride, each accomplishment for the sons
of the nation deserves to re-
6
main in the memory of the
.nation
His Highness said through
«Twitter» after he honored
the bodies, teams and individual winners at the eighteenth Dubai Government
Excellence: (leading achieve-
ments and Government en)ergies as a source of pride
He added: 18 years ago
some officials complained
to me that Excellence Program distracts them from
their basic jobs, but today
the basic function for all of
The Vice President:
Each Excellence in the Government
deserves thanks and each creative
deserves pride
.us is Excellence
During the award ceremony,
His Highness gave a brief and
improvised speech through
which he brought the officials back 18 years ago when
His Highness announced
launching the Program to
discover the national talent
in the Government departments and institutions, to
stimulate the male and female employees to compete
in creativity and innovation,
and to raise constructive
ideas which contribute to
the development and improvement of the Govern.ment performance
His Highness addressed the
audience saying: Now, after more than 18 years you
are competing to win the
awards of this Program and
you are racing in work to
achieve success that qualifies you to be honored on
.this platform
Attended the ceremony,
which began with the national anthem, HH Sheikh
Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai
Civil Aviation and Supreme
Chairperson of Emirates
Airlines Group, and HE Mohammed Ibrahim Al Shaibani, Director-General of the
Court of His Highness the
Ruler of Dubai, and HE Lieutenant General Dahi Khalfan Tamim, Deputy Chief of
Police and Public Security in
Dubai, and HE Jumaa Majid,
Chairman of Jumaa Al Majid
Heritage and Culture Institution, as well as the heads
and directors of the Government departments and
institutions in Dubai, and
more than three thousand
employees jammed in the
.Arena hall
Thanks to the Sponsor of
Creativity
The celebration started with
the arrival of His Highness
Issue No. 83
MaY 2015
7
Cover Story
the sponsor of the event
and the National Peace and
then a documentary of the
process of Dubai Program
for Government Excellence
that won the admiration of
the audience. Then, the distinguished honorees in the
previous session of the Program gave a word of thanks
and gratitude to HH Sheikh
Mohammed bin Rashid Al
Maktoum for his sponsorship of innovation and excellence in Dubai Government
departments and institutions and his unlimited encouragement for the creative sons and daughters
of the nation in all national
.production and work sites
The outstanding Colonel
Khalaf Ahmed Al Ghaith
from the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs gave a speech
on behalf of his colleagues in
8
which he confirmed- on behalf of all the distinguished
and honorees- his loyalty to
the beloved nation and its
wise leadership, and Covenant to continue on the
path of Excellence which has
become the culture of our
departments, institutions
and their employees who
learnt from the philosophy
and school of Mohammed
bin Rashid Al Maktoum the
meaning of excellence and
.reaching number one
Honoring began with HH
Sheikh Mohammed bin
Rashid Al Maktoum taking
the stage accompanied by
HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and HE Abdullah Al
Shaibani, Secretary-General
of the Executive Council in
Dubai, where Their Highnesses honored the winners
of Dubai Program for Gov-
ernment Excellence of all
.categories
The RTA and the General
Command of Dubai Police
won the largest number of
awards; HE Mattar Al Tayer,
the Chairman and CEO of
the RTA, and Major General
Khamis Mattar, the Commander in Chief of Dubai Police, had the honor of standing on the platform next to
HH Vice President and Prime
Minister and Ruler of Dubai,
and HH the Crown Prince
and Chairman of the Executive Council, together with
their teams and staff amid
enthusiasm and applause of
the audience, and praise and
congratulation of HH Sheikh
Mohammed bin Rashid Al
Maktoum and HH Sheikh
Hamdan bin Mohammed
bin Rashid Al Maktoum for
Al Tayer, Khamis Mattar and
their colleagues the managers and staff honorees in
.other government agencies
The RTA won eight awards
including six awards at the
institutional level, where the
Authority won for the second year in a row the Sponsor of Creativity Award. The
Authority achieved a great
accomplishment by winning
for the first time the Award
for Best Result of Customer
Satisfaction, also won the
Creative Idea Award for the
initiative (Smart Journeys),
which contributed to reducing the time of waiting for
taxis at Dubai international
airports through the application of two systems for
the vehicle. The first is that
the vehicle is within the airport mechanism at night,
and the second is that the
same vehicle turns into the
regular daytime service, resulting in the availability of
vehicles at Dubai airports
intensively, which contributed to the reduction of the
waiting time from 30 minutes to three minutes after
the application of the initiative, and this helped to raise
the rates of the customers’
.satisfaction
The Authority also won the
Distinguished Administrative Initiative Award for its
initiative, which contributed
to simplify the procedures
of vehicle property and driving licenses renewal. This
is by providing the service
through the insurance companies and Optometry centers (trusted agents), where
the number of the agencies
in coordination with the Authority increased from 17
centers in Dubai to 511 centers covering all the UAE.
Furthermore, the Authority
won the Outstanding Team
Award for team (11), who
oversaw the completion of
Dubai tram project, which is
the first tram outside Europe
running with the ground
power feeding on the entire line without the need of
pneumatic wires for electric
power supply. It is the first
tram in the world using the
automatic gate technology
for the passenger terminal
platform concurrent with
the opening and closing system of the train doors. In
addition, there is the Award
for the Government Project shared with the Department of Islamic Affairs and
Charitable Activities (Dubai
Hands). At the individual
Issue No. 83
MaY 2015
9
Cover Story
level, the Authority won the
Creative Employee Award:
(Khalifa Hamid Ben Zeban)
and the Unknown Soldier:
.)(Abdel Halim Manu
During the ceremony, all the
following are honored: the
DEWA represented by its
CEO HE Saeed Mohammed
Al Tayer; Dubai Municipality
represented by HE Engineer
Hussain Nasser Lootah; the
General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs
in Dubai represented by HE
Major General Mohammed
10
Ahmed Al Marri; the Public
Prosecution in Dubai represented by HE Essam Issa Al
Humaidan; the Department
of Islamic Affairs Charitable
Activities represented by HE
Dr. Hamad Al Shaibani; DHA
represented by its Director
General HE Essa Al Maidour; Knowledge and Human
Development represented
by HE Dr. Abdulla Al Karam;
Dubai Courts represented
by its Director Tarish Eid
Al Mansouri; the Statistics
Center represented by its
Director General Dr. Arif Al
.Muhairi and finally DMI
The ceremony was concluded by taking souvenir
pictures of His Highness the
sponsor of the ceremony,
the Crown Prince of Dubai
and the honorees. Then, HH
Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
read a poem on the occasion congratulating the UAE,
the bodies and institutions
as well as the honorees under the title (The Land of
.)Dreams
Institutional Superiority
HE Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and CEO of
the RTA, expressed his happiness for the RTA winning
eight awards in the 18th
Dubai Program for Government Excellence 2015. He
expresses his sincere thanks
and gratitude to HH Sheikh
Mohammed Bin Rashid Al
Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and
Ruler of Dubai (may Allah
protect him), and HH Sheikh
Hamdan bin Mohammed bin
Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown
Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive
Council, and HH Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin
Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy
Ruler of Dubai and Vice President of the Executive Council, for their care and support
of Excellence and Leadership
in the performance of the
Government sector manifested in the establishment
of Dubai Program for Government Excellence 1997, to
be an integrated Excellence
Program at the global level,
the driving force for the development of the Government performance, and to
make a quantum leap in the
performance of the Government departments and
agencies, based on documented and known to all in.ternational standards
He said: the RTA managed,
thanks to the wise leadership
and dedication of employees
and teamwork spirit, to raise
the level of performance;
keep up with the rapid developments in all fields; apply modern management
concepts; care about its
human resources; encour-
age the spirit of innovation
and creativity through motivating its employees and
providing them with a good
work environment; achieve
many accomplishments and
projects that have had a lot
of positive results at the
level of the Emirate and contribute constructively in all
categories of Dubai Program
.for Government Excellence
HE Mattar Al Tayer commended the efforts of the
winners and honorees and
their insistence on excellence and perseverance in
their work, culminating in
reaching the honoring platform, stressing that the
Authority winning these
awards is a strong motivation to continue in the administrative and technical
development, and keep up
.the Excellence process
Issue No. 83
MaY 2015
11
Cover Story
Line extension spans 15 km, includes 7 stations
Mohammed bin Rashid endorses extension
of Metro Red Line to Expo 2020 site
HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President, Prime Minister
and Ruler of Dubai, has endorsed the “Route 2020” Project, encompÅassing
the extension of the Red Line of the Dubai Metro from Nakheel Harbour &
Tower Metro Station to the site of Expo 2020. The extended sector of the
metro line stretches 15 km and includes seven stations.
HH directed to start the project
construction works immediately, and to
complete it on the fixed timeline at highclass finishing serving the needs of the
projected demographic growth and the
hosting of Expo 2020.
HE Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the
Board and Executive Director of the
Roads and Transport Authority (RTA)
said: “The construction of “Route 2020”
project conforms to the strategic
vision of the Dubai Government for
achieving sustainable development, and
12
developing a world-class infrastructure
& services. It also comes as practical
implementation of RTA’s Master Plan for
providing multiple options of integrated
mass transit means comprising the
metro, tram, buses and water transport
towards realizing RTA’s vision of Safe and
Smooth Transport for All.
“Route 2020 project will offer a safe &
smooth mobility to visitors of Expo 2020
and residents of the neighbourhood
as well. It stands out as a vital transit
corridor linking various Dubai districts
with Al Maktoum International Airport,
an icon of a new important development
phase in the history of Dubai, and a
symbol of sustainability, advancement
and creativity for current & future
generations,” he said.
“The RTA has mapped out an integrated
plan for roads and transport projects
to serve Expo highlighted by “Route
2020” project. The plan is meant to
achieve sustainability of the project
and accordingly the path is planned
to link Expo site with a number of vital
101 km
By endorsing the
extension of the
Dubai Metro Red
Line, the total length
of the Dubai Metro
lines (Red and Green)
will rise to 90 km, and
the total length of
rail network in Dubai
will be 101 km (90 km
metro lines, 11 km
tram lines).
projects and locations in the area. In
this regard, the RTA has coordinated
with all developers and government
entities in working out the proposed
paths of the metro to ensure that Route
2020 will support vital areas in the
present and future.
“The RTA has examined different
options of Route 2020 and assessed
their effectiveness and impact on the
neighbourhood based on a host of
technical perimeters that include the
enhancement of the development
plans in Dubai. It also serves the largest
possible number of residents as well
as current & future projects, easing
snarls on some congested road sectors,
providing top class service to targeted
communities, and integrating with
public transit systems and roads network
in the Emirate.
“Route 2020 starts off Nakheel Harbour
& Tower Metro Station and extends
15 km (11 km elevated and four km
underground), and includes seven
stations (5 elevated, and 2 underground
stations). The project serves densely
with
average-to-high
population
density such as the Gardens, Discovery
Gardens, Furjan, Jumeirah Golf Estate,
and the Dubai Investment Park. These
communities are inhabited by about 240
thousand persons and the journey from
the Dubai Marina to the site of Expo will
take 16 minutes,” explained Al Tayer.
RTA Chairman of the Board and Executive
Director stated that the RTA would hold
this month a workshop for consultants
& contractors specialized in rail
projects where it would exhibit various
components of Route 2020 project.
As per the timeline set, the project is
expected to be released for tendering
next July.
Issue No. 83
MaY 2015
13
Our News
Mohammed bin Rashid
orders payment of
AED26m bonus to taxi
plate holders in Dubai
Al Shaibani praises RTA’s efforts empowering
Dubai to earn Platinum Designation
HE Abdullah Al Shaibani, Secretary General of the Dubai Executive Council,
commended the efforts and immense contribution of the Roads and Transport
Authority (RTA) in thrusting Dubai to earn the Platinum Designation for its
compliance with ISO 37120 Certificate, through the provision of a database
that bolstered indicators of the ISO certificate.
Al Shaibani made such comments while
honoring HE Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman
of the Board and Executive Director of
the RTA, and presenting him a copy of
the ISO certificate obtained by Dubai
in recognition of the huge efforts made
by the RTA in support of the Executive
Council in obtaining this certificate.
“Obtaining the Platinum Designation
of ISO will enable Dubai to share
knowledge & expertise as well as the
best practices of services provided; which
in turn will enhance its global standing
in several international indicators such
14
as competitiveness, quality of living,
happiness and security levels. These
global metrics and standards contribute to
raising the competency of decision makers
in obtaining the core data needed for town
development, and empowering them to
carry out benchmarks based on standard
global measurements,” he explained.
The Secretary General of the Dubai
Executive Council expressed his deep
gratitude to the RTA for their efforts
in providing transport-related data
comprising kilometer-based statistics
about high-capacity public transport
means, light public transport means
per 100 thousand of population, total
number of trips made through public
transport means per person, number
of private vehicles per person, and the
ratio of public transport riders. Such
data also included the average number
of motorbikes per persons, number of
kilometer-lanes and dedicated cycling
tracks per 100 thousand of population,
and the number of fatalities per 100
thousand of population. He added that
RTA’s contribution had empowered
Dubai to cover 96 out of 100 indicators
HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President, Prime Minister of the
UAE and Ruler of Dubai, in his capacity as Ruler of Dubai, has ordered the payment of a
bonus of AED 26,608,000 (twenty six million, six hundred and eight thousand Dirham)
to Emiratis whose taxicab number plates are operated by the Dubai Taxi Corporation
and Taxi Franchise Companies at the Roads & Transport Authority (RTA). The total
number of which is 6652 plates.
RTA’s Public Transport Agency will start
distribution of the 2014 bonus to the
entitled recipients, over and above their
annual financial dues starting from April 1st.
H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board
and Executive Director of the RTA, thanked
HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al
Maktoum for rewarding taxi plate holders,
who are among the fixed income group,
and enabling them to cope with the
requirements of life and decent living for
them and their families.
“This bonus is one of several other generous
gestures we are accustomed to receive
from HH, which are a true testament to
the support accorded by HH to his people
and the attention he pays to their social
affairs and living conditions, particularly
those with fixed incomes. It also illustrates
the attention made to provide good living
to all members of the community, and
articulates the prevailing social solidarity
concepts among individuals,” concluded
Al Tayer.
listed under this certificate.
Al Tayer expressed his delight that Dubai
had scooped the Platinum Designation
rendering it one of nine cities worldwide
to receive this coveted award including
London, Barcelona and Boston. Such
an achievement illustrates that the
Departments of the Dubai Government
work in team spirit spearheaded by
HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al
Maktoum, Vice President and Prime
Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai;
under the close monitoring of HH Sheikh
Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid
Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and
Chairman of the Executive Council, and
HH Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohamed
bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler
of Dubai and Vice-Chairman of the
Executive Council.
“Standardizing the metrics of indicators
and data related to cities across the
globe will nurture a reliable database
for carrying benchmarks between
cosmopolitan cities; which will leverage
the strategic planning process, support
strategic decision taking by leaders of
cities & relevant bodies, and further
enhance the concept of sustainability in
cities,” added Al Tayer.
Issue No. 83
MaY 2015
15
Our News
The proposed unit is affiliated to
Operations Room at Dubai Police
HE Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of Roads and Transport
Authority (RTA), has recently held a coordinative meeting with Major-General Khamis Mattar Al
Muzainah, Commander-in-Chief of the Dubai Police. The meeting discussed the Assessment of
Traffic Accidents Management Project in the Dubai, and reviewed the proposal of establishing
Traffic Accidents Management Units. These units will provide traffic support during crashes,
ensure the rapid clearance of vehicles involved in minor traffic accidents as well as brokendown vehicles to ease traffic congestion, alleviate traffic congestion & streamline the traffic
flow at the site of the crash or surrounding roads, cut short the time of clearing vehicles
involved in accidents, and avoid the onset of potential secondary accidents as a result of
sudden congestion.
At the outset of the meeting, Al Tayer hailed
the two parties in an institutional manner.
several joint campaigns, and sharing
the strategic partnership between the RTA
We are equally keen on leveraging this
knowledge and expertise.
and the General Headquarters of Dubai
relationship in a way that serves all
The Chief of Dubai Police noted some
Police. He appreciated the huge support
community segments and reflects positively
traffic jam hotspots, and was briefed on the
and cooperation accorded to the RTA by the
on the economic and social development
solutions figured out by the RTA to address
Dubai Police, and the coordination in place
drive in the emirate.
them in the form of projects that will be
as regards to the management of traffic
Major General Khamis Mattar Al Muzainah
constructed shortly.
movement and law-enforcement measures.
stressed the importance of the continuous
The meeting also reviewed the report
“These periodic meetings are held in the
coordination and communication between
submitted by the consultant tasked to
context of the MoU between the RTA and
the
Dubai
study the Assessment of Traffic Accidents
Dubai Police to effectively bolster the
Police and the RTA, which contributed to
Management Project in Dubai emirate,
existing strategic partnership between
improving the traffic safety level, launching
and benchmarking it against the world’s
16
General Headquarter
of
best practices in countries with advanced
traffic practices such as Britain, USA and
Singapore,
Al Tayer receives Qatari
Consul in Dubai
The study showed that the cost of traffic
congestion in Dubai is estimated as 3.5
billion dirham per annum; where 1.8 billion
dirham is attributed to snarls triggered by
traffic accidents. This means that traffic
accidents-related tailbacks account for
up to 51% of the total cost of congestions
whereas this rate in countries with advanced
traffic systems is as low as 25% only.
The study also reported that improvement
HE Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the Roads and
of roads in Dubai reached 48% between
Transport Authority (RTA), has recently received at RTA premises HE Ali Al-Tamimi,
2006 and 2014, and crashes escalated
Consul General of Qatar in Dubai, in the presence of Mohammed Obaid Al Mulla, RTA
by 16% between 2011 and 2013. It also
Board Member. At the start of the meeting, Al Tayer welcomed the Qatari diplomat and
pointed to the massive increase in the
commended his efforts during his tenure in Dubai which has substantially contributed
number of vehicles and the huge projected
to enhancing joint cooperation at various fields. “Visits of GCC delegates offer an apt
increase in vehicle numbers over the next
opportunity for sharing expertise and boosting inter-GCC cooperation at various fields.
few years particularly during the lead-up of
In implementation of the directives of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum,
Expo 2020.
Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the RTA puts its
The two parties discussed the proposed
expertise & resources at the disposal of friendly and sister countries,” said Al Tayer.
Organizational
The Qatari Consul General hailed the upswing witnessed by the UAE in various fields.
Chart
of
the
Traffic
Accidents Management Unit in Dubai, and
setting up of a joint Operations Room for
the Dubai Police, RTA and some strategic
partners, provided it has to be affiliated to
the Operations Room of the Dubai Police.
A tentative agreement has been reached
...Al Tayer receives the
President of AECOM Co.
as regards to the Roles & Responsibilities
of the RTA and the Dubai Police in the
Accidents Unit, and the signing of Service
Level Agreement detailing the roles of each
party. The two parties have also agreed
to start the trial application of the Traffic
Accidents Management Unit in sectors of
the Sheikh Zayed Road, Sheikh Mohammed
bin Zayed Road and a 100 km-long sector
of the Dubai–Al Ain Road. The practice will
be subjected to assessment over a period of
HE Mattar Al Tayer, the RTA Chairman of the Board and Executive Director, received in his
one to two years.
office HE Michelle Burke, Chairman and CEO of AECOM Company.
Engineer Husain Mohammed Al Banna,
During the meeting, areas of cooperation and roads and bridges projects implemented
Director of Traffic at the RTA, and the
by the RTA and the projects planned to be implemented in the next phase in the sectors
Consultant of TRL Company, attended the
of roads and rail systems were discussed.
meeting.
Issue No. 83
MaY 2015
17
Achievements
AVM controls movement of 1568 buses on
252 routes, saves more than AED200 m
HE Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the Roads and
Transport Authority (RTA), stated that the spiraling use of smart & electronic systems
in public transport & taxi sectors at the RTA has stepped up the integration of mass
transit systems in Dubai. Narrating the positives of the systems, Al Tayer said: “It
contributed to increasing the efficiency and generating savings in excess of 200 million
dirham, increased bus compliance with timetables, and brought added happiness
to customers. In 2014 bus compliance with on-time exiting of depots was as high as
99%, Dubai taxicabs covered about two billion kilometers, and the average time of
dispatching a taxicab to customers was 13 minutes and 43 seconds.
Taxis travel 2 b km
in 2014 equivalent
to circling equator
48 k times
Operation Control Center
The Bus Operation Control Center is fitted with 24 giant
screens and the full Center has a capacity to deploy 22
staffs per shift, and currently 14 operators are on duty per
shift. The Center has 27 employees and the Emiratization
rate is 26%.
The Center works out timetables, conducts electronic
monitoring of bus movement, and verifies the compliance
with schedules, routes and timetables. It measures the
daily bus movement, ensures the on-time bus departures
& arrivals at stations, and acts appropriately to control the
performance and enhance compliance with timetables. It
also monitors the interfacing with RTA’s control centers
and verifies the accuracy of the real-time passenger
information system at metro stations through 620 screens
dotting metro stations, bus stations, bus stops, airports
and malls.
18
“The Automated Vehicle Movement
(AVM), designed at the highest global
practices to provide bus monitoring &
tracking in an area of about 83 million
square meters contributed to enhance
the communication between the Control
Center and bus drivers, monitoring
the movement of 1568 buses over
252 routes, increased the control of
revenues, and reduced expenditure by
more than AED200 million. It has also
raised customers’ satisfaction rating
from 68% in 2009 to 85% in 2014, and
reduced customers complaints from 500
complaints in 2009 to 8 complaints in
2014. The system assisted in producing
more than 46 reports of performance
indicators, and carrying out periodic
maintenance to buses. The system is
linked to seven smart technologies and
Dispatch
Smart systems improve bus compliance
with timetables, up performance, and
reduce operational cost
apps such as the fare system (NOL),
screens displaying real-time information
about bus movement, journey planner
(Wojhati) app, scheduling system, and the
cost accounting system among others.
“In 2014, the number of public bus
riders topped 135.5 million (compared
with 115.67 million riders in 2014), and
the daily ridership of buses clocked 371
thousand riders (compared with 321
thousand riders in 2013). Bus routes
service accounted for the lion share in
the total bus ridership accounting for
91.888 million riders, followed by metro
stations feeder bus service accounting
for 24.432 million riders, inter-city bus
service which lifted 12.89 million riders,
and the bus corporate rental service
which served about 5.8 million riders,”
explained Al Tayer.
Taxis
“Last year taxis in Dubai (Dubai Taxi
and franchise companies) have made
108.875 million trips serving more
than 217.751 riders, covering 1,941.748
million kilometers; which is equivalent to
circling the equator 48 thousand times.
The number of calls picked up by the
Booking & Dispatch Section amounted to
8.238 million calls of which 5.938 million
calls were responded to by staffs of the
Booking & Dispatch Center, and 2.299
million calls were responded to by the
Interactive Voice Response system (IVR);
which is equivalent to 42% of the total
number of calls received by the Center.
The number of bookings completed
through the Smart Taxi app amounted to
52 thousand bookings,” stated Al Tayer.
The Booki
ng & Dispatch Section at
the Transportation Systems
Department, Public Transport
Agency receives all taxi
booking calls and arranges
dispatches to Dubai Taxi
and franchise companies
applying specific parameters
of place, speed and others in
a specific time indicator. The
system compiles & produces
periodic reports in respect of
all franchise companies about
the extent of compliance
& implementation of the
franchise
agreement
in
terms of the number of
trips executed, deployment,
response speed … etc.
The Center also follows up
complaints & suggestions
received from customers
for improving the service
level, and responding to
them periodically, besides
analyzing
them
and
submitting reports to the
management in this regard.
The Center, which operates
24/7 on 3 shifts basis, has
a capacity to engage 35
operators, 6 booking trackers,
and 4 supervisors.
Issue No. 83
MaY 2015
19
Achievements
20 regional, 4 local awards bagged, plans developed for
enhanced participations this year
RTA’s collection of global awards soars by
150% in 2014
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) revealed that it had clinched 34
local, regional, and international awards in 2014 compared to 21 awards
collected in 2013. A target was set for participations to hit 80% and the actual
participation was as high as 86%.
“The rising tempo of bagging multiple
local, regional and international
accolades by the RTA is a testament to its
commitment to the highest international
standards required for scooping such
honours. These awards motivate us to
make yet more successes to maintain the
high profile of the RTA at all levels, and
the RTA has got plans to up participations
this year,” said Abdul Mohsen Ibrahim
Younes, CEO of Strategy & Corporate
Governance at the RTA.
Excellence and Diversity
“The Strategy and Corporate Governance Sector received the
regional award of ‘Be Green’ for the most sustainable government
entity. Apart from the two previous awards, the Traffic and Roads
Agency received four regional awards, viz. MEED Award for Projects
Excellence, two awards from the Middle East, for call centers - Insight,
while the 4th award came during GCC Traffic Exhibition Awards for
the Smart Roads Application,” said Abdul Mohsen.
“In addition to the Sheikh Khalifa Excellence Award, the Licensing
Agency received 7 Awards presented by ceica and cita in Belgium,
including two international awards for using smart applications
in renewing driving licenses and vehicles ownership. The Licensing
Agency also won four regional awards as a pioneer in uploading
Medical Fitness & Eyesight Test for Professionals Drivers, renewing
vehicles ownership through trusted agents, in addition to uploading
vehicle insurance details, and GCC Traffic Exhibition Award (Standard
Modules for Training Drivers and Light Vehicles Driving Test). The
Rail Agency also won two regional awards: Achievement Award
during the 10th Railway and Metro Summit, MENA Region, and the
2nd Sustainable Tunnels Management from the Arab Conference for
Tunnels in collaboration with the International Society for Tunnels.
The Dubai Taxi Corporation also received the regional award of
Middle East Customer Service, in addition to another local award for
Smart Journeys in the International Conference, UAE Ideas,” said the
of Strategy & Corporate Governance at the RTA.
20
Quantum Shift
“In 2014 the RTA scooped 10
international awards compared to
4 in 2013; which is equivalent to a
150% increase. During the same year,
it bagged 20 regional awards, and 4
local awards. Awards won in 2014 are
highlighted by Salik Broadening Project
(Phase III) which won the Excellence
Award of the Toll Systems Technology
awarded by The International Bridge,
Tunnel and Turnpike Association
(IBTTA). This award was presented to
the Traffic and Roads Agency by an
American based entity bearing the
same name. In the award presentation
speech it was said: “Salik is the biggest
tolling system worldwide in terms
of multiple lanes covered, offering
smooth vehicular flow on the road,
and is classified as the world’s widest
toll gate in one direction providing a
free traffic gate spanning 44 meters.
It enables carrying out full periodical
maintenance without road closure, and
is the first tolling project operating on
870 frequency. The Agency has won
the Best Traffic Safety Achievements
Award in 2014 during the 1st IRF
Asian Regional Congress in Indonesia
through its project: Children Traffic
Safety a Joint Responsibility,” stated
Abdul Mohsen.
Commitment & Achievement
“The Rail Agency has bagged the
American Stevie Silver Award; classified
as one of the highest international
honours since 2002, in the field of
transportation in a submission about
the metro project. The Dubai Taxi
Corporation has also won the Silver
Award of RoSPA (Royal Society for the
Prevention of Accidents, UK ) in the field
of health and occupational safety. The
Award recognizes DTC’s commitment
to minimize the number of crashes &
injuries, and raise cabbies awareness
of the importance of safe driving for
their own safety and the safety of
passengers. The Corporate Technical
Support Services Sector has also won a
regional award for the Best Information
Security App at the regional level as
part of endeavors to boost the efforts
of curbing cyber-crimes. The Award was
presented in a special event during the
Gulf Information Security Congress &
Exhibition held in the Dubai World Trade
Center witnessing tough competitions
from 34 entities. The Licensing Agency
has scooped Sheikh Khalifa Excellence
Award in the category of Services
Sector; which illustrates RTA’s superior
services in vehicle licensing, inquiring
about offences, obtaining distinguished
numbers, and online mortgage
redemption through its smart phone
apps,” noted Abdul Mohsen.
Milestones
“Last year, the RTA won Hamdan bin
Mohammed Smart Government Award
as the Best Website. The Public Transport
Agency scored 3 prominent positions in
the Arab Ideas Award in the Environment
Category (Green Buses), Health and Safety
(Improving Bus Accidents Investigation
Mechanisms), and the Financial Efficiency
(Cost Accounting System Project). The
Corporate Technical Support Services
Sector won 2 regional awards, namely:
The Best Project for the Corporate Storage
Application Award, presented by the ITP
Media Foundation and the Best Corporate
Storage Unit Project presented by CPI
Media Foundation, in addition to a third
local award granted by Dubai Quality
Group in the 6th Sustained Development
Seminar for the Best Corporate Practices
in Development and Innovation. The
Administrative
Corporate
Support
Services Sector won an international award
presented by Avaya International Users
Group (Customers’ Innovations Awards
- Sustainable Excellence), in addition to
three regional awards: Middle East Awards
for Call Centers (Insight) for the Best Skill
Career Path, Middle East Summit Call
Centers for the Best Technological Call
Center Category, and the Best Call Center
for the Best Music Production Category,”
said Abdul Mohsen.
Issue No. 83
MaY 2015
21
Achievements
Dubai Taxi fleet operational
efficiency exceeds 97% in 2014
The Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC) at the Roads and Transport Authority
(RTA) has carried out 46,561,702 trips last year at a rate of more than 3.8
million trips per month, lifting 81,017,361 riders at a rate of more than 6.751
million riders per month, besides taking part in a host of events & activities
across the Emirate of Dubai.
Narrating these statistics, Ammar Rashid
Al Buraiki, Acting Director of Fleet
Operations at the DTC, said: “In 2014
the operational efficiency of the DTC
has touched 97.08% compared with
94.76% in 2013. The total number of trips
carried out last year topped 46,561,702
trips compared with 41,259,635 trips
in 2013 recording in the process an
11.39% rise. The organizational units of
the Department stand ready to respond
to the daily needs of the fleet in terms
of repair, maintenance, and cleaning of
affiliated taxicabs. The Dubai Taxi fleet
comprises 4,254 cabs deployed under
several brands namely Airport Taxi, Hatta
Taxi, Ladies Taxi, Commission Taxi, Hala
Taxi and VIP taxi.”
“About 66,836 preventive maintenance
processes have been carried out
to taxicabs last year at our internal
workshops compared with 58,876
processes carried out in the preceding
year. About 24,009 remedial (corrective)
maintenance operations have been
carried out in 2014 in comparison with
23,370 processes carried in 2013. About
99.8% of total maintenance operations
have been carried out last year, and 89.4%
of accidents have been repaired. The
Maintenance & Fleet Services Section is
doing what it takes to improve the level
of service as well as the appearance of
taxicabs; which ultimately contributes to
raising customers’ satisfaction rating. The
cleaning operations include cleaning
about 600 taxicabs per month besides
the daily washing of more than 3,650
vehicles,” said Al Buraiki.
“In the context of refining the skills of
staffs, coordination is made with strategic
partners of the DTC to hold specialist
training workshops for technicians at
the workshop in order to leverage their
capabilities throughout the year. Such
qualification will reflect positively on
improving the business processes and
realizing the vision of the DTC of Pioneers
in Passenger Transport Services.
“The Department has accomplished a
host of achievements, services & facilities
and rolled a number of initiatives for the
benefit of customers such as deploying
more VIP taxis under the theme ‘New
RTA clinches Silver Award of Stevie
International Customers Service Awards
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has scooped the Silver Award of the Stevie
International Awards for Customers Service in the Best Customers Complaints
Management Team category. The Award, which ranks amongst the top corporate
awards recognizing innovation & excellence in international business, had been
launched in 2002 and sponsored by the American-based organization Stevie.
Hundreds of international entities vie for top accolades of these awards which are
presented to the best organizations & individuals in a variety of business fields in
more than 60 countries. A judges panel comprising 150 of top executives, business
leaders and innovators officiate the awards.
22
Dimension of Transport Luxury’; bringing the number of VIP taxis to
as much as 105 black vehicles in order to deliver excellent services to
customers and raise their satisfaction. It has also opened Jebel Ali Taxi
Operation Station to slash the waiting time of customers requesting
taxis in new Dubai communities, and also reduce wasted kilometers.
The Operations Control Center has been set up to act a communication
link with various organizational units of the DTC and help provide
instant tracking of taxicabs of the fleet,” continued the Acting Director
of Fleet Operations at the DTC,” stated Al Buraiki.
“The DTC has also run the BBS project; an electronic system considered
the first of its kind in the region enabling the tracking of vehicles and
drivers without involving human intervention; which contributes to
raising the operational efficiency of the fleet, and generating more
revenues to the DTC. It also directs the driver and addresses any
observations on the spot. The periodic maintenance is in place aroundthe-clock where vehicles are being directed to the workshop 24-hours
a day; resulting in enhanced technical competency of the workshop;
which reflects positively on increasing the operational efficiency.
“The Department is undertaking a host of programs to save
maintenance expenses through using various means of fixing spare
parts, and encouraging employees to use safety equipment in their
daily routines. Moreover, the Department makes relentless endeavours
to roll out motivating initiatives for employees such as the Employee
of the Month (covering administration, technical, or field staff ).
Besides that it engages them in making suggestions and offers them
improvement exposures by means of suggestion boxes, and instills the
competitive & innovative spirit among them,” concluded the Acting
Director of DTC Fleet Operations.
Ahmed Mahboob, Director of RTA
Customer Service, was delighted
with the award, which is one of the
top international honours aimed
to recognize entities that make
outstanding
customers
service
achievements. “The RTA had engaged
in a fierce competition with a host
of reputed international entities like
the DHL Express Courier Service, and
DELTA Airlines, to scoop the Silver
Award in the field of Customers Service.
The RTA attaches special attention to
raising customers’ satisfaction; which
is enshrined in its third Strategic Goal
(Peoples Happiness). Signing-off of
complaints last year touched about
90%; which is indicative of the effective
management of customer complaints as
a result of adopting the best practices to
minimize transport-related complaints
such as booking & receiving taxi service
requests (Hala Taxi) by phone, and other
services,” explained Mahboob.
“The RTA always endeavours to roll out
improvement initiatives to meet and
even exceed customer aspirations. We
recognize that peoples’ transit needs
are increasingly changing and getting
more diversified; which warrants
initiating new tools for achieving
their satisfaction and minimizing their
complaints. The RTA will not rest on the
laurels of obtaining coveted awards
documenting its achievements such
as the international Stevie Awards,
but is developing a future strategy for
uplifting performance, especially in
serving customers; whom we consider
the cornerstone of our business,” said
the Director of RTA Customers Service
in a concluding remark.
Issue No. 83
MaY 2015
23
Achievements
Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) wins
Risk Management Professional of the Year 2015
The Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has won at the Institute of
Risk Management (IRM’s) Global Risk Awards 2015. This has recently been
announced in a glittering Awards ceremony in London.
Eur. Ing. Amair Saleem, Director of Safety, Risk
support from His Excellency Matar Al Tayer,
instruction of the RTA Chairman of the Board
Regulation and Planning Department of RTA’s
RTA’s Chairman of the Board and Executive
and Executive Director, we were tasked with
Strategy and Corporate Governance Sector,
Director. Saleem summarized that the award
setting up an Enterprise Risk Management
who won this prestigious award, expressed
was a recognition of RTA’s Leadership and
System that would interface with RTA’s
his satisfaction and pleasure over this
Excellence in the field of Risk Management. major risk related systems e.g. Strategy
achievement, attributing it to the constant
More specifically, under the direct vision and
Management, Project Management, Health
IRM is the leading professional body for risk
management. IRM is an independent, not-for-profit
organisation that champions excellence in managing
risk to improve organisational performance.
and Safety Management, Emergency and
Crisis Management, Security Management,
Asset Management, Financial Management,
etc. The RTA Enterprise Risk Management
System acts as the engine to all major
MENA Center for Transport Excellence holds
The MENA Center for Transport Excellence has organized a variety of
outstanding events including training courses and workshops that covered
various mass transit issues, not only in the region but also all over the world.
Abdul Aziz Malik, Chairman of the Supreme
needs of officials and employees involved in
International Association of Public Transport
Committee of MENA Center for Transport
public transport sector and fit well with the
(UITP) on how to organize and establish
Excellence, said that the Center made a
plans, strategies and projects undertaken.
a mass transport authority in the State of
remarkable success in 2014 not only in
The Center also holds training courses &
Kuwait.
training courses, but also in statistical
workshops about excellence in providing
“In collaboration with the World Bank, the
projects, in addition to conducting Public
mass transit services,” he said.
Center also organized Grooming Leaders
Transport Leaders’ Preparation Course in
“The Center also participates in training
of Urban Transport Planning Forum. RTA
collaboration with the World Bank.
sessions conducted by entities responsible
host the 7-day Forum in the middle of last
“We, in MENA Centre for Transport
for regulating and operating the transport
year and sponsored by some of the world’s
Excellence, are keen on delivering diverse
sector in the MENA region, including
prominent institutions including the Energy
training courses & workshops that serve the
a training course organized by the
Sector Management Assistance Program
24
management systems to minimize risks to
lowest practical levels, thereby ensuring that
RTA operations run smoothly and safely.
“Since its inception in 2005, the Dubai
Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has
always attached a great significance to Risk
Management due to the key role it plays
in Public Safety; Asset Preservation; RTA
Reputation; System and Project Optimisation”
said Saleem.
=Nearly 400 risk leaders from 20 countries
arrived at the Hilton on Park Lane in London,
United Kingdom to celebrate the Oscars of the
risk profession. The Awards, hosted by British
actress Joanna Lumley, rewarded winners in
risk excellence from as far afield as the UAE,
Nigeria and Switzerland. An independent
panel of 24 experts, representing all aspects
of risk management, judged entries
IRM do this by providing internationally recognised
qualifications and training, publishing research and
guidance and raising professional standards across
the world. Our members work in all industries, in all
risk disciplines and across the public, private and notfor-profit sectors.
variety of outstanding events in 2014
(ESMAP), and the Korean Green Growth
entrusted with the establishing & regulating
of channels for organizing transportation
Trust Fund (KGGTF) for Green Growth and
public transport operators in modern cities
and
Consultancy Facilities for Infrastructure in
worldwide.”
reports about mobility policies in MENA,
Public and Private Sectors. The event saw
The MENA Centre for Transport Excellence
and delivering training courses to help
a large participation of entities concerned
participated in other training courses in 2014
employees in the transport sector.
with planning and urban transport not only
including courses focusing on the public
Objectives of the Center:
from MENA Region but also from all corners
transport fundamentals and development
The MENA Center for Transport Excellence
of the globe,» added Malik.
programs in this sector. These events and
aims
The Chairman of the Supreme Committee
activities were organized in Kuwait, Paris,
strategies in MENA region and establishing
of MENA Center for Transport Excellence
Brussels, Abu Dhabi, Manama and Jeddah.
an information center comprising the best
noted: «the RTA attaches considerable
The RTA has established the MENA Centre
practices of mobility and transport. The
attention to the Center by providing every
for Transport Excellence in collaboration
Center also aims to familiarize mobility
support & assistance, and whatever it
with the UITP, and held the MENA Public
and transport specialists with the best
takes to bring success to activities, events,
Transport Congress and Exhibition. The
international practices of the industry,
plans and strategies of the Center aimed at
initiative of establishing a permanent
conduct researches and studies about
disseminating and consolidating the culture
center and organizing the congress &
mobility and public transport, and promote
of excellence in the public transport sector.
exhibition has rendered Dubai a hub for
exchange of experiences & cooperation
Our participation in training courses has
professional researches and the exchange
between entities concerned with transport
brought about tangible positive effects.
of field knowledge. The initiative enabled
as well as universities in the MENA region
The MENA Center for Transport Excellence
the development of real-time applications
and beyond. It also seeks to disseminate
is always keen on keeping pace with the
to ensure better mobility for people and
the culture of public transport in the MENA
latest developments in mass transport and
contributed to providing a healthy living
region, and assist countries of the region
introducing modern strategies applicable
environment. The core initiatives adopted
acquire successful practices in mass transport
in regulating & establishing of entities
by the Center include establishing a host
to meet the mobility needs of population.
sharing
at
Issue No. 83
experiences,
promoting
MaY 2015
public
preparing
transport
25
Achievements
Wade Adams Best Contractor,
AECOM Best Consultant
H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the Roads
and Transport Authority (RTA), has recently felicitated departments, entities,
firms and individuals winning the 6th RTA Safety Awards 2014. The Awards are
designed to recognize annually the best safety practices in all operations of
the RTA. Award categories include the Best Strategic Partner in realizing RTA’s
safety strategy, Best Contractor, Best Consultant, the Best Workers committed
to occupational safety standards in various projects and construction sites
of the RTA, and the Best Sector/Agency as well as the Best Health, Safety and
Environment (HSE) Team in the RTA. The sixth edition of the Award saw an
introduction of three new categories namely: Best RTA’s Safety Initiative, Safest
Public Transport Driver, and the Safest Maintenance Team in the RTA.
The ceremony, which was held in RTA’s
Al Wasl Auditorium, was attended by
scores of top executives of the RTA as
well as representatives of government
26
entities, contractors and consultants.
Winners
Winners of RTA Safety Awards 2014
decorated by Al Tayer were:
The Dubai Police General HQ and
the Dubai Electricity and Water
Authority shared the Best Strategic
Partner of the RTA in the field of
Safety category. AECOM Middle
East was the winner of the Best
Consultant in the field of Safety
category. Wade Adams won the
Best Contractor in the field of Mega
Contractor category, and Tasjeel;
an affiliate of Emirates National
Petroleum
Company
(ENOC),
finished second. In the Best Medium
Contractor (with less than 500 staffs)
category, Tamam Testing Center
came first, and Shirawi Facilities
Management finished second. In
the Best Safety Worker category, the
winner was Jagdish P. from United
Motors & Heavy Equipment LLC, and
“The Award saw a sweeping
changes in the number of
categories from just four in
the inaugural edition covering
contractors & consultants
engaged in RTA’s projects only,
to cover in the second round all
contractors and consultants
working with RAT’s agencies
and sectors. In its past edition,
the Award saw an addition of
new categories bringing the
total number of categories
to eight in this edition. The
assessment of all categories
is based on specific technical
criteria approved in respect
of each category and aligned
with the highest international
practices attended to by a
Judges Panel comprising
experts from various agencies
of the RTA as well as external
entities,” added Abdul Mohsen.
Mohammed Salman, from China
State Engineering Contracting Crop,
was the runner-up.
Safety & Security
“The compliance with the
health and occupational safety
standards in RTA projects is
one of the core values which
cannot be compromised under
any conditions. All projects
undertaken by the RTA are
designed and constructed at the
highest safety & security levels
and are subjected to rigorous
assessment criteria throughout
construction phases to verify
the compliance of construction
operations with the international
standards of occupational safety
in projects,” said Al Tayer.
Issue No. 83
MaY 2015
27
Achievements
“The Safety Award is one of
the pioneering initiatives of
the RTA intended to decorate
consultants,
contractors
and strategic partners who
contribute to embedding
and
furthering
good
practices in various fields
of health, occupational
safety and environment,” he
further added.
Al Tayer decorated RTA’s winning
sectors, agencies and work team
where the Public Transport Agency
won the Best HSE Team award, and
the second place went to the Traffic
and Roads Agency at the level of RTA
agencies. The Corporate Technical
Support Services Sector won the
Best HSE Team at the level of RTA
sectors. The Dubai Taxi Corporation
won the Best Safety Initiative award.
Bus Maintenance Team at Public
Transport Agency won the Best
Maintenance Team Award, and
Streets Lighting Team at Traffic &
Roads Agency was the runner-up.
Iftikhar Ali Sardar, from Cars Taxi
Company, won the Best Taxi Driver
Award, Mohammed Rafi, from
Rawiyya Depot at Public Transport
Agency, won the Best Bus Driver
award, and Hernan C. Jolom won
the Best Marine Transit Modes. Al
Tayer also felicitated the Head and
28
Members of RTA Safety Award Team.
Abdul Mohsen Ibrahim Younes, CEO
RTA’s of Strategy and Corporate
Governance said: “The Award, which
was launched in 2009 seeks to raise
the awareness of the public and
community organizations about the
importance of safety, enhance the
role of strategic partners in bolstering
RTA’s activities and projects, and
positioning the occupational safety
concept & practices as a top priority
of public and private entities.”
Projects
RTA starts construction of 700 meter-long Bridge at Wafi I/C
The Roads and Transport Authority
(RTA) has commenced construction
works in Wafi Interchange Improvement
Project comprising the construction of
a 700 meter-long bridge of three lanes
in each direction, stretching from Oud
Metha Road (nearby Latifa Hospital) in
the direction of the Sheikh Rashid Road,
and head towards the Sheikh Zayed
Road and Al Saadah Road (elevated
bridge leading to the Dubai World Trade
Center). The underlying objective of the
bridge is to minimize the overlapping
traffic at the I/C, and ensure better traffic
flow in all directions.
“The new bridge will offer smooth
movement for vehicles inbound from Oud
Metha Road and outbound eastward to
Al Ain Exit. It will also improve the traffic
flow from the Sheikh Rashid Road to Oud
Metha Road in the west (Umm Harir, Oud
Metha),” said Engineer Maitha bin Udai,
CEO of RTA Traffic & Roads Agency. “Wafi
I/C is one of the key interchanges in the
city, linking a number of highways, thus
experiencing high traffic intensity. The
project, which has been awarded to
Dutco Balfour Beatty LLC at a cost of 88
million dirham, is viewed as one of the
integrated solutions the RTA is keen to
realize in the best shape in concurrence
with its strategic vision in dealing with
snarls in the Emirate.
RTA completes construction of internal roads at Warqaa
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai has completed the
construction of all internal roads at Al Warqaa 1, 2, 3 and 4 Internal Roads
Project. Accordingly, it has completed the opening of all internal roads in the
area between the Tripoli Road in the North, Al Awir Road in the South, Academic
City Road in the East, and the Mohammed bin Zayed Road in the West.
“The project included the construction of new roads stretching
125 km, widening of existing roads at Warqaa extending 36
km, and fitting these roads with all requisites such as lighting
and parallel parking slots,” said Engineer Maitha bin Udai, CEO
of RTA Traffic & Roads Agency. “Work is currently underway in
rehabilitating entrances to villas and buildings which is expected
to be completed by the middle of this year. Once completed, it will
ensure a smooth traffic movement for residents and safe ingress &
egress of road users from and to nearby districts,” added Maitha.
These projects are part of the first and second batches of
the 5-Year Plan 2012 – 2015 for Upgrading & Improving
Roads Network to meet the rising needs of population and
urbanization in the Emirate.
Issue No. 83
MaY 2015
29
Projects
Works include elevating Sheikh Zayed Road above the Canal course
Al Tayer: Completion rate hits 40% in Phase 1 of
Dubai Water Canal
HE Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the Roads and
Transport Authority (RTA) revealed that completion rate in Phase I of the Dubai Water
Canal project had hit 40%. Works under Phase I include the construction of a bridge on
the Sheikh Zayed Road comprising 8 lanes in each direction. Al Tayer also reported that
completion rate in Phase II, which includes constructing bridges on Al Wasl and Jumeirah
Roads, had reached 25%. The completion rate of Phase III that includes constructing a 3
km-long canal connecting the Business Bay Canal with the Arabian Gulf, had hit 15%.
“The Contractor of Phase I of the Project
constructing bridges on Al Wasl Road,
between Al Wasl, Al Athar and Al Hadeeqa
started construction works in the Northern
where drilling works and casting of concrete
Roads in order to ensure full traffic flow
Bridge on the Sheikh Zayed Road in the
piles & columns had been completed. The
upon the completion of the project instead
direction of Dubai, nearby the Red Line
company also started preparatory works of
of the existing traffic signals. Works also
of Dubai Metro. 50% of excavation works
Phase II of the traffic diversion. In Jumeirah
include constructing bridges extending to
and casting of concrete piles have been
Road, excavation works are underway to
the proposed peninsula at the southern
completed, and the Northern Bridge is
protect the utility lines in preparation for
part of the Jumeirah Park. The contract also
expected to open in the fourth quarter of
constructing the traffic diversion,” RTA
includes shifting the utility lines via conduits
this year. The construction of the bridge
Chairman of the Board and Executive
passing underneath the Canal, in addition to
in the direction from Dubai to Abu Dhabi
Director added.
laying spare conduits underneath the Canal
would follow. The company also embarked
“Phase II includes the construction of
to cater to anticipated future requirements,”
on constructing service roads in the Business
bridges on Al Wasl and Jumeirah Roads over
added Al Tayer.
Bay area after shifting the existing utility
the Dubai Water Canal at a height of 8.5
Al Tayer, extended his sincere thanks
lines in situ,” explained Al Tayer.
meters allowing yachts to pass underneath.
to residents and road users in areas
comprises
It also includes the construction of a fully-
impacted by traffic diversion works, for
constructing a bridge on the Sheikh Zayed
fledged multi-tier flyover to link the traffic
their cooperation with both the RTA and
“Phase
I
of
the
project
Road crossing over the Canal waterway in
such a way allowing free navigation around
the clock. Impacted roads would be rerouted
to ensure a smooth traffic flow between the
two shores of the new Canal. The impacted
part of Sheikh Zayed Road is about 800
meters long. The project also includes
shifting the existing utility lines impacted by
the Canal course, in addition to the lighting
and water fountains works on the bridge,”
stated Al Tayer
Phase II
“Work is progressing according to the plan
in Phase II of the project, which includes
the construction of bridges on Al Wasl and
Jumeirah Roads, with a completion rate of
more than 25%. The contractor is currently
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project contractors, which had a significant
convenient and effective water-transport,
will also enhance Dubai’s image as a leading
impact on expediting construction works.
especially after the completion of several of
city in attracting leisure marine tours. Phase
“The Dubai Water Canal, a modern, unique,
islands in the Arabian Gulf, such as The World
III also includes filling works to build a man-
commercial and tourist destination project,
and Jumeirah 2. The marine transit modes
made peninsula along the Jumeirah Park,
would add further glamour to Dubai city and
are expected to lift more than 6 million
which will double the beach line of the Park,
off a new lifestyle experience in the heart of
passengers annually according to the master
increase the park area, and allow for more
it and at both banks of the Canal,” he said.
plan of marine transport in Dubai. The Canal
leisure activities.
Phase III
“Completion rate in Phase III has so far
exceeded 15%. Work is currently underway
to complete the protection of utility lines and
the shifting of sewage lines on both sides
of the Canal, besides constructing sewage
pumping station and coastal works for the
breakwater. Earlier this year, the RTA has
reopened the running track of Al Safa Park,
which had been impacted by construction
works; a step that reflects RTA’s keenness to
bring happiness to the people by providing
facilities for jogging or walking,” said Al Tayer.
It should be noted that phase III of the Dubai
Water Canal Project includes digging the
Water Canal, building the Canal sides and
constructing 3 pedestrian bridges linking
the two sides of the Canal. It also includes
constructing 4 marine transit stations
Master Plan
As the RTA is keen to ensure the safety of road users, it has developed
a plan for traffic diversions to ensure a smooth traffic flow. The traffic
movement has been diverted on both directions of the Sheikh Zayed
Road as well as Al Wasl Road. The engineering design of the temporary
traffic diversion conformed to the specifications of the permanent road
in terms of engineering design, surface & asphalt leveling, and the
provision of adequate lighting in accordance with the design speed of the
road to ensure users’ safety. The same number of previous lanes in traffic
diversion was maintained in order to ensure smooth traffic flow, and avoid
adverse impacts on the intake of traffic volumes resulting in traffic jams.
Contractor’s work areas have been fully separated by high barriers to
minimize the inconvenience to road users and residents in adjacent areas.
The RTA has also communicated with all inhabitants of areas impacted
by project works and provided them with diversion layouts along with
the contractor’s phone numbers. Notices were placed in public places,
published in newspapers and social media sites to inform the public about
alternative roads.
to enable marine transit modes offer
Issue No. 83
MaY 2015
31
Projects
RTA completes construction of 22 pedestrian
bridges, starts construction of 7 others
Pedestrian fatalities recorded hit the lowest rate over 20 years
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced the start of construction
works in seven footbridges in six roads; namely 2 bridges on Baghdad Street
and one bridge on each of Al Maktoum Road, Al Mina Street, Amman Road,
Baniyas Road and Al Rasheed Road. Works in these bridges are expected to be
accomplished during the first half of 2016. The RTA has completed the construction
of 22 pedestrian bridges in 2013 and 2014; which would bring the total number
of pedestrian bridges constructed by 2016 to 107 pedestrian bridges.
Zero pedestrian fatalities recorded
in five main roads in 2013 & 2014
HE Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the
Board and Executive Director of the RTA,
said: “The construction of pedestrian
bridges stems from RTA’s commitment
to provide safe transit means for
pedestrians crossing roads. RTA will
construct the new bridges in a number
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of vital locations selected in the light
of traffic studies based on a number
of perimeters such as traffic intensity,
number of accidents & fatalities,
maximum speed limit, number of
lanes, population density on roadsides,
distance to the nearest footbridge,
location of bus stops, availability of
markets & organizations, and locations
witnessing high proportion of run-over
accidents (Black Points).
“Over the past two years, RTA
constructed 22 footbridges in a number
of vital locations including two bridges
at Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road
(one near Fruits & Vegetables Market,
and the other near workers complex at
Al Qusais). It established three bridges
at Umm Suqeim, two bridges at each
of Al Asayel Road and at the First Al
Khail Road. It also built one bridge at
each of Sheikh Rashid Road, Al Saada
Road, Al Mina Road, Al Wuhaida Road,
Amman Road, Al Rasheed Road, Al
Mankhool Road, Latifa bint Hamdan
Road, Abu Baker Al Siddique Road, Al
Khaleej Road, Al Ribat Road, and the
JLT,” explained Al Tayer.
“The number of pedestrian bridges
in Dubai has soared from 14 bridges
in 2006 to 74 in 2011 and jumped
further to reach 100 bridges by the
end of 2014, and the number is set to
rise further to 107 in mid-2016. These
bridges contributed to recording the
lowest rate of pedestrian fatalities on
Dubai roads over 20 years. Statistics
indicate pedestrian fatalities dropped
from 9.5 fatalities per 100 thousand
of population in 2007 to 7 fatalities
per 100 thousand of population in
2010 and dropped further in 2014 to
its lowest rate of one fatality per 100
thousand of population.
“Pedestrian bridges located at five
main roads are Sheikh Mohammed
bin Zayed Road, Umm Suqeim Road,
Al Rebat Road, Al Asayel Road and
First Al Khail Road had recorded zero
fatality following the installation
of footbridges in 2013 and 2014,
compared to seven fatalities on
those roads before the installation of
pedestrian bridges. The number of
pedestrian-related accidents on the
same roads dropped from 19 to 9,”
continued the Chairman of the Board
and Executive Director of the RTA.
Al Tayer called on community members,
both citizens & residents, to use
pedestrian bridges and subways, and
urged motorists to abide by the speed
limits, and slowdown at pedestrian
crossing points for their own safety and
the safety of road users.
The RTA is adopting specific standards in designing and
constructing pedestrian bridges in the Emirate of Dubai based
on traffic studies that give due consideration to population
density in the area, speed of the road, services provided at
roadsides, and the number of traffic accidents recorded.
Accordingly, solutions concluded in those studies are
transformed into technical and traffic projects that might be
in the shape of pedestrian bridges, and pedestrian crossings
fitted with light signals or speed-calming devices such as
humps.
Issue No. 83
MaY 2015
33
Projects
RTA launches
Building Information
Modeling project
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has recently
unleashed the Building Information Modeling project;
one of the vital projects rolled out by the RTA with
the aim of nurturing an engineering information
environment that deals with assets information in a
comprehensive manner starting from the design stage
and until these assets are written off.
“This project offers a kind of platform for
them under one platform. Thus it reflects
broadening the scope of modeling the
that responsible parties in the RTA are keen
information of RTA’s facilities to cover all
on adopting and implementing the best
construction projects relating to RTA’s
international practices in this regard.
infrastructure such as service stations,
“Building information modeling solutions
operational offices, road networks and rail
is an effective tool for the management,
communication between these parties in a
systems,” said Abdullah Ali Al Madani, CEO of
mobility and sharing of engineering
way that provides them access to the most
Corporate Technical Support Services Sector
information between the owner, architects,
accurate details of the final design,” added
at the RTA.
engineers,
“The Building Information Modeling project
manufacturers and maintenance officials
“The building information modeling project
is considering one of the leading projects
in an environment customized to ensure
comprises a series of processes aimed at
across the region, or possibly the world
the reduction of power wastage. Such
creating, saving, and following changes
over, as it covers all types of infrastructural
an objective can be achieved through
as well as retrieving information about a
projects owned by the RTA and combines
establishing an effective and smooth
construction project during the project’s
developers,
contractors,
Al Madani.
lifecycle starting from the concept till the
scrapping or demolition all under a single
platform for all engineering specialties
of relevance to the project. The project
is
therefore
developed
electronically
through a single platform starting from the
developer and including the consultant
and the contractor until it is delivered and
managed by the concerned personnel at
the Asset Management Department who
would complement the project till the end
of its lifespan,” explained the CEO of RTA
Corporate Technical Support Services.
The Platform comprises all computer-aided
programs used in building, managing,
and maintaining the project. The platform
34
captures
information
&
engineering
thickness of plaster, type of painting, and
detected only during the construction
requirements from all specialties in the shape
the ability to cut openings for windows
phase; which would have an impact on
of layouts where each element is defined
and doors. Accordingly, it will be possible
the progress of works. The Model has
comprehensively. This covers merging
to establish the fourth dimension i.e. the
proved effective in reducing the waste of
the requisites of supply & maintenance
time chart (4D) and follow-up the progress
building materials because of reducing
to set up a 3D integrated virtual model
of works during construction through the
errors resulting from coordination and the
of the facility before starting the actual
3D, and produce the Bills of Quantities
ability of the developer to visualize the
construction. This model is characterized
(5D) accurately in a time shorter than the
project practically before commencing
by integrated and interrelated engineering
time taken in conventional projects. It also
construction works. It also enables the
properties including minimizing costly
streamlines the computing of the facility’s
project parties to cooperate well as the
variations during the construction phase
lifespan and runs a comparison between
model is built on the same platform
as a result of overlapping systems. It also
different options. Thus, it will be possible to
in a cumulative manner starting from
enables the production of all projections
add information about the cost, lifespan of
the developer, consultant, contractor,
and information required for production
each element of the project in comparison
suppliers of materials & equipment, and
and construction (Stop Drawing), while
with all elements, besides enabling the
up to the maintenance; which requires
eliminating frequent errors which might
tracking
processes,
accuracy and verification of information.
crop up in coordination between different
managing the facility, and carrying out
The Model is currently being applied
specialties during the construction phase,
necessary changes & modifications in a
with the same success achieved in the
besides registering all information about
smooth and semi-virtual manner.
infrastructure projects for various public
the origin in a single place for managing
This Model has been applied to buildings
transport means. Through implementing
assets after taking over the project.
in a number of advanced countries such as
the model, the RTA is seeking to benefit
Each line in the 3D Model comprises
Singapore, Australia and Germany, and it
from previous characteristics in leading the
integrated information (such as the blocks
proved effective in saving the time because
implementation; and it is anticipated that
line encompassing information describing
of avoiding the overlapping engineering
this will be the way to go in the engineering
the type & thickness of block, type &
requirements,
development field.
of
maintenance
which
are
otherwise
Issue No. 83
MaY 2015
35