issue no. 23, may 2010 the official monthly magazine of ...issue no. 23, may 2010 the official...

10 Medals adorn our hearts

Together we can accomplitsh,excel & translate the vision

10 Medals adorn our hearts

Together we can accomplitsh,excel & translate the vision

The official Monthly Magazine of Dubai's Roads and Transport AuthorityIssue No. 23, May 2010

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Al Masar 23-E-May 2010 4/26/10 12:29 PM

Roads and Transport Authority

Dubai

Chairman of Board

andExecutive Director

Mattar Al Tayer

Alongthe

way

your support

Our

achievements

I’m honoured to offer sincere thanks and appreciation to His Highness Sheikh

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and

Ruler of Dubai, for patronizing the excellent and pioneer drive with the aim of boosting

the performance of the government sector. This is illustrated at best in the directive of

HH to establish the Dubai Government Excellence Program (DGEP) in 1997 as an inte-

grated government excellence program at the global level, with the aim of upgrading the

government performance in Dubai; which had set an example to be emulated across

the region that had been culminated by the winning of the UN Public Service Award in

2007.

We are thankful to HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai

Crown Prince and Chairman of the Executive Council, for the ongoing follow-up of the

performance of various government authorities and departments in the Emirate.

Since inception in November 2005, RTA adopted the criteria of the DGEP as a framework

and was keen on drawing up a comprehensive strategic plan to deliver an array of excel-

lent projects. RTA efforts paid dividends in sweeping 10 prizes of the coveted DGEP

Awards 2009; a tally putting the RTA ahead of any other government body. What thrilled

us in particular was the Special Recognition accorded to the RTA with the Award of the

Government Entity with the Most Advanced Performance, and the Award of the Electron-

ically Distinguished Government Entity. In so doing, RTA succeeded in beating the dar-

ing challenge of offering the best-in-class e-services to the public despite the number

and quality of services offered which topped 160 services.

We were particularly happy with the winning of the Distinguished Team Award by the

090909 Team; which has delivered Dubai Metro Project on time. The galaxy of RTA indi-

vidual winners include Dr. Khalid Al Zahid who won the Distinguished Government

Employee Award, engineer Ramadan Abdullah who won the Distinguished Administra-

tive Employee Award, Hussain Al Banna who won the Creative Employee Award, Dr. Oth-

man Metex who won the Distinguished Technical/ Engineering Employee Award, Ms

Sarah Ishaq who won the Distinguished New Employees Award, and Ismail Juma and

Qaid Mohammed Al Halaqbi who were honoured in the Unsung Hero Award category.

This resounding success is testament to the soundness of the approach adopted by the

RTA in developing its human resources & young leader potentials, adoption of the best

global administrative practices, dedication of employees to their jobs and fostering of

teamwork spirit.

In conclusion I would like to reiterate that the application of quality & excellence stan-

dards as well as winning these awards is not an end in its own right, it is rather a tool

to leverage the administrative & technical development, and a medium for showcasing

RTA achievements in various fields. We, at the RTA, reaffirm our pledge to HH Sheikh

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and

Ruler of Dubai, to drive down the path of excellence set by HH for making endless suc-

cesses and countless achievements.

Mattar Al Tayer

General Supervisor

Aysha Al BusmaitDirector of Customer Service

Editor in Chief

Al Moatasem Belah Mohammed

Editorial Consultant

Maher Al Kayyali

Managing Director

Mohammed Al Munji

Editing Manager

Khulood Al - Sharaf

Art Director

Sara Al Mudharreb

Editurs

Fahad Al MamariNashwan M. Al Taee

Layout

Mohd Hassan Al Hafiz

Photography

Syed Zaheer Haidar

RTA Address

P.O.Box 118899United Arab EmiratesTel: +971 4 2844444Fax: +971 4 2065555

www.rta.aeContact Us:

Tel: +971 4 2903989Fax: +971 4 2903933

Email: [email protected]

Al Masar 23-E-May 2010 4/26/10 12:29 PM

content

4Issue 23 - May 2010 . www.rta.ae

Cover Story

Laptop Service Clinic cures technical patients

Results of “Laptop Service Clinic” campaign,

which was conducted by Information Technology

Department of Corporate Technical Support Ser-

vices Sector at Roads & Transport Authority in

Dubai had shown clearly that campaign assump-

tions were correct that laptop users requires

awareness about the importance of periodic main-

tenance of their laptops to ensure smooth & effec-

tive operation levels.

1199 Al Tayer: Completion rate hits 85% in AlKhawaneej Bus Depot

RTA scoops 10 DGEP Awards

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of

Dubai, has patronized the award-giving ceremony of Dubai Government Excellence Program (DGEP) 2009 Awards which

was held at Madinat Jumeirah .

1166

66

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Al Masar 23-E-May 2010 4/26/10 12:29 PM

His Highness commended the efforts of the Dubai Gov-

ernment Excellence Program team who have dedicated

their sincere efforts to reach this good result and are

now harvesting the fruits of their continuing contribu-

tion taking our departments, agencies and citizens to

the highest levels of innovation and effective communi-

ty participation.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Mak-

toum, congratulated the departments and individuals

who won the program awards, and considered their

achievement they had made for their departments and

the community as a contribution towards uplifting the

profile of the UAE at the international level that reaffirms

the UAE’s pioneering role in various spheres.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Mak-

toum, has patronized the award-giving ceremony of

Dubai Government Excellence Program (DGEP) 2009

Awards which was held at Madinat Jumeirah and

attended by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown

Prince; His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed

bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai; His

Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chair-

man of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chief Exec-

utive of Emirates Airline Group; His Highness Sheikh

Majid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chair-

man of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority; His Highness

Sheikh Hasher bin Maktoum Al Maktoum, Director Gen-

eral of the Department of Information; His Highness

Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Mak-

Mohammed Al Munji:

His Highness the Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai confirmed: “Excellence

and innovation are a culture that should prevail across the community organizations, segments and mem-

bers, because we are living in a state that has pledged to be a leader in every respect. This requires us to

build creative & intellectual people capable of making the required change and equipped with resolution,

determination, self-confidence and belief in God and our beloved nation for the sake of which we ought to

make every sacrifice.”

Honoured winners of DGEP Awards

Mohammed bin Rashid: Achievementsillustrate UAE’s pioneering role

Cover Story


Al Tayer and the CEOsreceiving the Distinguished Work Team Award

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toum; and other Sheikhs, ministers, dignitaries

and heads of local departments and authorities.

The ceremony began with the arrival of His High-

ness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum

at Arena Ballroom of Madinat Jumeirah by playing

the national anthem, followed by a documentary

film showcasing Dubai’s achievements and devel-

opment stages of Dubai Government Excellence

Program. Then, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince

of Dubai, addressed the ceremony expressing loy-

alty and gratitude to the founder of Dubai modern

development, stating: “Excellence is not a job, it’s

a recipe for each job.”

HH Sheikh Hamdan pledged before His Highness

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the power-

house of the culture of excellence, innovation and

knowledge, to exert further efforts in order to

boost the pioneering & innovative spirit, promote

corporate excellence, and improve the efficiency

of government spending and management of

public funds.

His Highness the Crown Prince of Dubai

announced in his address that as of the current

edition of the DGEP two categories of Financial

Excellence and Joint Government Project will be

added to the program.

His Highness referred to the performance level of

government agencies in Dubai and the extent of

customer satisfaction that rose to 83% this year.

List of departments that won this category (cus-

tomer satisfaction with government services)

included Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry,

General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners

Affairs and Dubai Municipality.

Following the address, His Highness Sheikh

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-Presi-

dent and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of

Dubai, ascended the decoration platform stand-

ing to his side His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum; His Highness

Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al

Maktoum; and His Excellency Abdullah Abdul

Rahman Al Shaibani, Secretary-General of Dubai

Executive Council and Chairman of Dubai Govern-

ment Excellence Program, where awards and cer-

tificates of appreciation were distributed to the

winning departments, agencies, government enti-

ties, innovators and unsung heroes.

10 Awards

RTA has swept the lion share of the Awards in this competi-

tion involving local authorities, departments and entities.

H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive

Director of RTA, along with RTA's honourees, received the ten

Awards given to the RTA. RTA won the Electronically Distin-

guished Government Entity Award, and got a Special Recog-

nition as the Government Entity with the Most Advanced Per-

formance. It also won the Distinguished Team Award

(090909 Team which delivered Dubai Metro Project on time).

7 Issue 23 - May 2010 . www.rta.ae

Al Tayer, Abdul-Mohsin and Al Hamadi receiving the Government Entity with the Most Advanced Performance Award

Khalid Al Zahid receiving the Distinguished Government Employee Award

Ramadan Abdullah receiving the Distinguished Administrative Employee Award

Al Masar 23-E-May 2010 4/26/10 12:29 PM

Dr. Khalid Al Zahid won the Distinguished Government

Employee Award in recognition of his efforts in planning,

implementing and operating the water bus for the first time

in the region, planning and commissioning Ferry Dubai and

the Water Taxi for the first time in the region, delivering vari-

ous initiatives that led to saving more than AED260 million,

and raising revenues in excess of AED10 million.

Ramadan Abdullah won the Distinguished Admin-

istrative Employee Award for contributing to the

operation of Dubai Metro at the highest global

standards and operating the Unified Card span-

ning various mass transit modes in the Emirate.

Dr. Othman Metex won the Distinguished Techni-

cal/ Engineering Employee Award for his excellent

contribution to the introduction of the new imple-

mentation methods and using new materials in

the building of bridges and tunnels in Dubai with

a view to minimizing costs, time and traffic diver-

sions, besides compiling technical studies for the

construction of bridges at world-class designs

such as Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Bridge and

Dubai Smile Bridge. Hussain Al Banna, Director of

Traffic won the Creative Employee Award for Mad-

inati Scheme; which contributed to raising traffic

safety levels, and maintaining the urbanized and

aesthetic excellent appearance of Dubai City

through involving individuals and community

entities in the program. Ms Sarah Ishaq won the

Distinguished New Employees Award in recognition

of the several initiatives and excellent achievements, and

two other employees were also honoured in the Unsung Hero

Award category; namely Ismail Juma and Qaid Mohammed Al

Halaqbi.

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, represented by its

Cover Story


Hussain Al Banna, receiving the Creative Employee Award

Othman Metex receiving the Distinguished Technical/ Engineering Employee Award

Ismail Juma and Qaid Mohammed Al Halaqbi honoured in the Unsung Hero Category

Hamdan binMohammed:

Excellence is not a job, it’s a recipe

for each job

Al Masar 23-E-May 2010 4/26/10 12:29 PM

Chairman of the Board His Excellency Saeed Mohammed Al

Tayer and the concerned staff, were decorated with 10

awards. Dubai Municipality took the third place in terms of

the number of awards with its Director General His Excellen-

cy engineer Hussein Lootah and the concerned staff receiv-

ing 8 awards. Dubai Police General Headquarters ranked

fourth in the number of awards where its Commander-in-

Chief Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan, his Deputy Com-

mander-In- Chief Major General Khamis Mattar Al Mazeina

and the innovative policemen collected seven awards.

Among the winning authorities and agencies, the Health

Authority represented by its Director General His Excellency

Qadhi Saeed Al Murooshid, Directorate General of Residency

and Foreigners Affairs, the Centre of Ambulance Services,

Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Dubai Airports, Culture &

Arts Authority, Statistics Center, Dubai Customs, Dubai

Department of Tourism, Department of Islamic Affairs and

Charitable Activities, Endowment Department & Minors

Affairs, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Dubai Civil Defence

Department, Mohammed bin Rashid Housing Establishment,

Dubai Public Prosecution, Knowledge and Human Develop-

ment Authority and Dubai Media Inc.


The Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) offered deepestthanks and appreciation to HH Sheikh Mohammed binRashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister ofthe UAE and Ruler of Dubai for patronizing the excellenceand pioneering drive to boost the performance of the gov-ernment sector, as illustrated in the establishment ofDubai Government Excellence Program (DGEP) in 1997.The Program was intended to be an integrated governmentexcellence program at the global level, and a driving forceto leverage the government performance and bring abouta qualitative shift in the performance of government insti-tutions based on sound and reliable international stan-dards. HH has always made it clear that whoever takes agovernment post assumes a huge responsibility to work byheart and mind, continue to make progressive successesand take pioneering role in keeping with the practices setby our ancestors and our expectations from the new gen-erations.RTA is also appreciative and grateful to HH Sheikh Ham-dan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai CrownPrince and Chairman of the Executive Council, for theongoing follow-up of the performance of various govern-ment authorities and departments in the Emirate.

“Thanks to the astute directives of HH Sheikh Mohammedbin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ongoing follow-up of HHSheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum,dedication of RTA's employees & fostering of team spirit,the continuous efforts made to keep pace with the latestdevelopments at all fields, the introduction of modernadministrative concepts, the substantial improvement ofthe performance level & attention made to humanresources, and diffusing the spirit of creativity & innova-tion through motivating employees and nurturing a posi-tive working environment, RTA has managed to realize sev-eral achievements and projects; which had contributedheavily to the advancement of the infrastructure of theEmirate,” said Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board andExecutive Director of the RTA.Al Tayer commended the efforts made by the winners andhonourees and their willpower to achieve excellence intheir respective jobs; which had been culminated byclinching the awards. He added that RTA's winning ofthese awards would be a huge impetus to do better at theadministrative & technical levels, and keep up with theexcellence drive.

Al Tayer: Winning the awards is a motivation for administrative &technical development, pursuing the drive of excellence

Al Masar 23-E-May 2010 4/26/10 12:29 PM

The Dubai Roads & Transport Author-

ity (RTA) has signed a Partnership

Agreement with the Municipality &

Planning Department of Ajman to

boost the existing partnership rela-

tions between the two entities in an

effective and an institutional manner

that serves the interest of all commu-

nity segments and adds to the ongo-

ing economic & social drive in both

emirates.

The Agreement was signed on behalf

of the Municipality & Planning

Department of Ajman by Sheikh

Rashid Bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Chair-

man of the Municipality & Planning

Dept-Ajman, and H.E. Mattar Al Tayer,

Chairman of the Board and Executive

Director of the RTA. The Agreement

was signed on the sidelines of the 4th Ajman International

Urban Planning Conference held under the theme "Water-

front: New Trends in Architecture and Planning”.

The Agreement calls for the partners to make concerted

efforts to realize the visions of Dubai Emirate and Ajman

Emirate through materializing the visions of the two respec-

tive parties and meeting customer satisfaction as it has

strong bearing on the economic & social spheres of the two

emirates and the whole country. The Agreement also calls for

cementing the joint cooperative links in keeping with the

objectives of the two parties to have a solid, reputable, pro-

fessional and pioneering corporate profile that sets sights

on achieving higher rates of customer satisfaction, building

effective mutual partnership relations that meet their strate-

gic objectives and step up their joint coordination in various

business fields. Such steps would contribute to improving

the performance, simplifying procedures, enhancing cus-

tomer services, and stepping up coordination, business

cooperation and technical & administrative skills of both

parties.

The Agreement provides for exchanging of knowledge,

expertise and corporate practices at all levels, sharing of

information and studies relevant to the scope of both parties

business, and developing mechanisms for implementing an

integrated communication system between the two parties

to pave the way for exchanging knowledge, expertise, spe-

cialized studies and researches capable of boosting mod-

ernization and corporate development of the two entities.

They will also lead to promoting the creative skills and moti-

vating innovation, and creating a consolidated database for

information and documents related to the subject matter of

the Agreement, as well as ensuring easy access & timely

update thereof.

According to the Agreement, the two parties have to

exchange expertise & best practices, cooperate in urban

planning & development affairs, share traffic studies & solu-

tions, upgrade roads & public transport modes, and cooper-

ate in customer service and means of raising customer satis-

faction with the services rendered. They also have to step up

their legal, administrative and financial corporate organiza-

tion, boost the relationship of each party with the strategic

partners of the other, and cooperate with the other party in

holding conferences, seminars, lectures, courses workshops

and other joint events.

Sheikh Rashid Bin Humaid Al Nuaimi, Chairman of Munici-

pality & Planning Dept-Ajman, expressed his delight with the

signing of the partnership agreement with the RTA, which

would “boost the cooperation and exchange of expertise

between the two parties in a way that serves the cause of

development and growth in the country,” he said. He hailed

the huge successes made by the RTA in completing mega

road projects and mass transit networks, such as Dubai

Metro, which are a source of pride not only for the UAE but

the whole region.

For his part Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Exec-

utive Director of the RTA, said that he would be looking for-

ward for more cooperation and exchange of expertise

between the RTA and Ajman Municipality. He said: “This

Agreement is testament to the strategic partnership estab-

lished by the RTA since inception with various organizations

inside and outside the UAE.”

Signing of the Agreement was attended from the RTA by the

CEO of RTA Marine Agency Mohammed Obaid Al Mulla, CEO

of Strategy & Corporate Governance Abdul Mohsin Ibrahim,

CEO of Public Transport Agency Eisa Abdul-Rahman Al

Our News


RTA signs strategic partnership agreement with Ajman Municipality

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Al Masar 23-E-May 2010 4/26/10 12:29 PM

RTA has recently held a meeting with the Committee of Dubai Awardfor Sustainable Transport (DAST) attended by the Chairman andmembers of the Committee in which they discussed means of coop-eration and upgrading the profile of the Award.The Chairman of the Supreme DAST Committee Khaled MohammedAl Zahed said that the purpose of the meeting had been to reviewthe huge success made by the Award over its short life span notexceeding two years, the lessons learned from the previous edi-tions, and how to upgrade the Award in future, particularly the thirdedition of 2010.Al Zahed said: “In the presence of RTA's concerned officials andmembers of the Award judging panels, we discussed means ofuploading the excellent initiatives, including non-Award winners, onDAST portal and publishing them in the media in order to raise thepublic awareness of the best practices in this field, and offer morenews items at the disposal of the media.“The meeting had also discussed the need to upgrade and regularlyupdate DAST portal, and to start receiving the applications online asof the next edition of the Award. Discussions also included develop-ing a Guide for the Best Academic Research, and holding press con-ferences and workshops to stimulate companies & individuals toplay a bigger role in this field starting from the third edition. TheJudges Panel is an independent circuit comprising experts and spe-cialists from the RTA, which is the competent body authorized to

screen submissions and identify the winners based on sound andaccurate technical standards,” added Al Zahed.DAST, which is in line with the sustained development principleadopted by the RTA, was inaugurated in 2008 with a view to educat-ing and encouraging various community organizations to play anactive and constructive role in support of RTA's objectives in thefield of sustained transport. The second edition of the Award waslaunched in 2009 to showcase the importance of the Award and theneed to place sustained transport among the overriding concerns ofthe public & private entities as well as the local media.In the first edition, the Award comprised 3 categories: Mobility Man-agement, Conserving the Environment, and Transport Safety. In thesecond edition a fourth category was added: Special Needs Trans-port Requirements and two additional categories were also added inthe Special Recognition categories: Best Media Coverage with theaim of boosting the awareness of the Award, and Best AcademicResearch in the field of Sustainable Transport. The targeted four keysectors in Dubai Emirate are: government entities (local & federal),private sector entities, public interest groups, and individuals.The meeting was attended by Dr. Salim Al Shaafi, Development &Planning Consultant at Abu Dhabi’s Department of Transport, andH.E. Major General Mohammad Saif Al Zafeen, Director of DubaiPolice’s Traffic Department and Head , in addition to members ofJudges Panels and the Supreme Committee of the Award.

H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director ofRoads & Transport Authority (RTA), has recently received at his officeH.E. Ambassador Tariq Khalid Al Hamad, the Kuwaiti Consul inDubai, where he explored ways & means of boosting cooperationand exchanging expertise between the RTA and its Kuwaiti counter-part. The visit comes in the context of RTA's endeavors to enhancethe cooperative relationships with various entities at the local,regional and global levels.At the start of the meeting Al Tayer welcomed the Kuwaiti Consul andwished him a pleasant stay in the UAE and hailed the cooperativelinks between the UAE and Kuwait.RTA Chairman of the Board and Executive Director briefed theKuwaiti Consul on the key projects currently undertaken by the RTAincluding roads & bridges network, the Dubai Metro project; the firstphase of which was opened in September 2009 and Phase II is setfor opening this April, and Al Safouh Tram Project.“RTA is committed to adopt the highest practices in each phase inorder to achieve the intended objectives of providing Safe & Smooth

Transport for All, and showcase the profile of Dubai across theworld. The UAE in general and Dubai in particular is witnessing ahuge influx of people and businesses; which warrants preparing allsorts of roads and transportation infrastructure such as DubaiMetro, water transport, buses, taxis and others in order to cope withthe rising number of projects & population and cope with the urban-ization drive.For his part H.E. Ambassador Tariq Khalid Al Hamad stated that hewas impressed with the sweeping development witnessed by DubaiEmirate in a record time which contributed to making Dubai a focalpoint for investors, businessmen and tourists, thanks to the wiseleadership of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. Hemade a special mention to the Dubai Metro project; which hasbrought about a quality shift in the mobility systems in the region,and added a beautiful dimension to the fabulous array of projectsseen by Dubai, besides contributing to passenger transport andreducing traffic congestion.

Our News


sRTA explores means of upgrading Dubai Award for Sustainable Transport

Al Tayer Receives the Kuwaiti Consul in Dubai

Al Masar 23-E-May 2010 4/26/10 12:29 PM


H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Direc-tor of Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) recently received H.E.Dr. Hassan bin Eisa Al Fadhala, Executive Vice-President forOperations, Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company, in thepresence of H.E. Faris Al Nuaimi, Qatari Consul General inDubai; Ghanim Hassan Al Ibrahim, Director of the Group’s Pro-jects; and Sultan Bakheet Al Azzi, Director of Qatar RailwaysProject. The meeting explored ways and means of boostingcooperation in railways networks.In the outset of the meeting Al Tayer hailed the fraternal rela-tions between the UAE and the State of Qatar under the wiseleadership of the two sister countries. “Visits of GCC delega-tions are good opportunities for sharing expertise, boostingcooperation in various fields and benefiting from the practicesof GCC countries. In keeping with the directives of HH SheikhMohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and PrimeMinister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, RTA offers all its expert-ise and potentials in the service of sisterly and friendly coun-tries,” he said.During the meeting Al Tayer spoke about the key instrumentalfactors that helped RTA complete Dubai Metro on time; namelythe unlimited support & follow-up of HH Sheikh Mohammed binRashid Al Maktoum, clear vision, mission & objectives, ongoingfollow-up of work progress at various phases of the project,teamwork spirit, the cooperation & communication with all rel-evant internal & external parties, proper management of risksand challenges, developing an integrated work program for allkey stakeholders & subcontractors, and documenting & learn-ing lessons.He further elaborated: “Dubai Metro Project was confrontedwith several challenges such as the integrating various masstransport systems in the Emirate, reviewing the important proj-ect details, tackling technical issues such as tunnel ventilation,taking strategic decisions such as the phased opening of the

Red Line stations, commitment to open the project on time i.e.09.09.09, and cooperating with various stakeholders of theproject, dealing with engineers and workers of almost 200 hun-dred nationalities. The leadership team coped with these chal-lenges out of its commitment to carry out the directives of HHSheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum; which were com-municated to all personnel working in the project, be it employ-ees of the RTA or employees of the Consortium constructing theproject. It was reiterated to all personnel that the decision ofopening the Dubai Metro Project on the time preset at the sign-ing of the contract in 2005 is an irreversible decision and every-one has to work accordingly. RTA succeeded in mobilizing allpotentials & resources of all affiliated agencies & sectors toensure the project delivery on time”.The Qatari delegation watched a documentary film about theDubai Metro; which comprises two lines; the Red Line and theGreen Line. It is considered the longest driverless metro lineundertaken in a single project in the world. The Red Lineextends 52 km and includes 29 stations (4 underground and 25elevated stations with two stations at Dubai International Air-port). The Green Line extends 22 km and comprises 18 stations(including 6 underground stations), and extends 10 km underthe ground.H.E. Dr. Hassan bin Eisa Al Fadhala, Executive Vice-President forOperations, Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company, stat-ed that he was impressed with the projects undertaken by theRTA, particularly in the field of mass transportation such asDubai Metro, and Public Transport means. He also hailed thefast speed of constructing RTA's projects in a record time.Afterwards, the delegation was accompanied by the Acting CEOof Rail Agency Adnan Al Hamadi, Director of Rail OperationDep’t Ramadan Abdullah, and Director of Rail Planning & Devel-opment Dep’t Abdul Rida Abu Al Hassan in a tour of DubaiMetro.

Qatari delegation reviews RTA expertise in delivering Dubai Metro Project

Abdul-Mohsin Ibrahim Younes, CEO of RTA's Strategy &Corporate Governance Sector visited the annual special-ized exhibition, showcasing the latest technologiesdeveloped by leading British companies in the field ofsecurity & surveillance systems & equipment organizedby The Home Office Scientific Development Branch incooperation with the UKTI Defence & Security Organiza-tion, which was held in the British capital London on 16 –18 March 2010.“The purpose of the visit was to review the best practicesand latest technologies in the field of security surveil-lance systems & devices for facilities and infrastructures,such as public buses, metro, and marine transit modes inaddition to buildings, assets & properties,” said AbdulMohsin.As RTA has extensive systems & devices controlling &monitoring traffic flow on Dubai roads & parking zonesover and above the operational systems of the metro,metro stations, public buses and various transportmodes, it has become imperative to benefit from theexpertise of the advanced countries in upgrading &

broadening the scope of security systems & equipment,and integrate & enhance their operational efficiency toensure the fulfillment of their original purposes,” he con-tinued.“RTA is always keen on adopting the latest transport tech-nologies and upgrading all systems, including security &safety systems, with the aim of delivering the best servic-es to all segments of the community in keeping with RTA'svision of providing Safe & Smooth Transport for All,”added Younes.It is note-worthy that this Exhibition, which is held annu-ally, features participation of leading British companiesspecialized in Defence systems & devices through estab-lishing specific inter-government relationships; lay thefoundation for building confidence between clients &suppliers, these systems & devices. The participatingBritish companies exhibit specialized systems & devicesin the fields of combating crimes, policing practices, gen-eral security, counter terrorism, identity management,and border security.

RTA reviews latest technologies in use in security & surveillance systems for key facilities in the UK

Al Masar 23-E-May 2010 4/26/10 12:29 PM

H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and ExecutiveDirector of Roads & Transport Authority (RTA), announcedthat more than 50% of Rashid Hospital Tunnels had beencompleted and preparations had been made for the basictraffic diversion under Phase II of the project, which wouldenable the contractor to construct the remaining tunnelunits. 19 tunnel units out of a total 30 units had been com-pleted that accounted for 65% of the required works underthe initial phase of the project. Installation of the electro-mechanical fittings would be initiated after opening the sec-ond stage of the traffic diversion. Works in surface roads out-side the tunneling area had so far reached a 75 per cent com-pletion rate.“Rashid Hospital Tunnels Project; which costs about AED705million is part of RTA's master plan to alleviate traffic jams inthe vicinity of Rashid Hospital and improve traffic flow in thearea. Upon completion of the project the capacity of roadswithin the project zone is set to rise to about 6000 vehiclesper hour,” stated Al Tayer.“The project comprises construction of roads and two tun-nels to serve the traffic inbound from Tariq bin Ziyad andUmm Harir Roads and outbound to the intersection of RiyadhRoad with the extension of the Floating Bridge, with eachtunnel comprising two lanes in width. The first tunnelbranches out of Tariq bin Ziyad Road beneath Al Maktoum

Bridge, and the second tunnel, inbound from Umm HarirRoad, passes through Oud Maitha Park, and the two tunnelsconverge to make a 4-lane tunnel heading to Riyadh Road viaRashid Hospital. The project also encompasses convertingRiyadh Road intersection with the extension of the FloatingBridge into a 4-lane road. A road will be constructed to servethe traffic inbound from the Floating Bridge heading towardsTariq bin Ziyad Road,” added Al Tayer.Tellingly, RTA undertook several projects in this area of BurDubai to ease traffic bottlenecks and increase the intake ofroads in order to cater to the urban expansion and resultingvehicular traffic. RTA had constructed the Floating Bridge,which is just half a kilometer off Al Maktoum Bridge, com-prising 6 lanes extending from the surface intersection nearCity Center and Dubai Golf Club (Deira) and terminating atthe would-be constructed intersection at Riyadh Road. Theproject included modifications with the aim of improving theefficiency of the intersection in the vicinity of Riyadh Road;where R/As on the way to the Creek Park had been convert-ed into signalized junctures. The project also involved con-struction of an extra lane linking between Khalid bin AlWaleed and Oud Maitha Roads on the one hand, and Al Itti-had Road and Deira on the other.RTA had also widened Al Maktoum Bridge from 9 to 11 lanesand the project also encompassed widening of roads lead-

Our Projects


Completion rate hits more than 50% at

Rashid Hospital tunnels

Al Masar 23-E-May 2010 4/26/10 12:29 PM

The Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has opened thebridge linking Dubai Media City and the Greens for traf-fic, providing a direct link between the two sides ofSheikh Zayed Road in that area.Engineer Maitha Mohammed bin Adai, CEO of RTA'sTraffic & Roads Agency, said: “The Bridge, whosedesigns and construction phases have been endorsedand supervised by the RTA as per the applicable speci-fications in Dubai Emirate, serves road users on bothsides of Sheikh Zayed Road; namely Dubai Internet City,Dubai Media City and Knowledge Village on one hand,and the Greens, TECOM, and Emirates Hills on the other.“The Bridge, which is being constructed at the cost ofDubai Technology and Media Free Zone Authority(TECOM), comprises two lanes in each direction and twosurface signalized intersections at both ends of theBridge. Opening the Bridge would ease the traffic con-gestion on Sheikh Zayed Road, particularly in the sectorfrom Street 331 (4.5 Interchange) and the 5th Inter-change."

“RTA is keen on linking the two sides of Sheikh ZayedRoad with roads & bridges network serving the inhabi-tants of those areas, Dubai Internet City, Dubai MediaCity and the residential blocks at the opposite side ofthe road to ease the mobility between the two sides ofSheikh Zayed Road; which contributes to the fulfillmentof RTA's vision of providing Safe & Smooth Transport forAll."“In future, the new Bridge will provide a link betweenthe Parallel Roads and Al Wasl Road through capitaliz-ing on Al Safouh Tunnel linking the neighbourhood ofthe Knowledge Village and Jumeirah up to Al Wasl Road.It will also open up more options to motorists travellingfrom areas in the vicinity of Emirates Hills to Jumeirahand Al Wasl Road."“Opening the Bridge coincides with the construction ofa series of road projects in the area such as the ParallelRoads Project which, upon completion, wouldmove-ment and flow across the


ing to the Bridge and the approach to the Bridge at UmmHarir Road from two to three lanes; which added to thecapacity eased the flow of traffic inbound from Sheikh ZayedRoad towards Deira. It also included the improvement ofKhalid bin Al Waleed Road to ease the pressure on this vitalroad in order to improve its traffic flow towards Deira. Bridgeimprovement and widening works also included increasingthe 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 improve-ment of key roads in the city of Dubai as part of the vital proj-ects undertaken to upgrade and improve roads, and provideadvanced services at residential areas; which is part of thestrategy and ongoing endeavours of the RTA to keep paceurbanization drive, and meet the requirements of growth anddemographic expansion in the Emirate.

RTA opens bridge linking Dubai Media City & the Greens

Al Masar 23-E-May 2010 4/26/10 12:29 PM

H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive

Director of Roads & Transport Authority (RTA), announced

the completion of 90% of construction works of Al Khawa-

neej Bus Depot and revealed that the station will start oper-

ation during the first half of this year. Al Tayer also expressed

his delight with the operation of Al Rowaya 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 Essa Abdul Rahman Al Dossari, CEO

of Corporate Technical Support Services Sector Abdullah Al

Madani, and several RTA's directors.

Al Tayer set off his tour by inspecting the Bus Depot at Al

Rowaya, 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 sup-

ply 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 Essa Al Dossari and Abdullah Yousef Al

Ali (Director of Buses) to 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 equip-

ment and technical tools for carrying out all maintenance

works and electromechanical repairs, in addition to the lat-

est testing systems, spare part warehouses, and offices for

administrative & technical staff. RTA's bus maintenance

workshops are operated at the highest global safety stan-

dards, 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 construc-

Our Projects


Al Tayer: Completion rate hits 90% inAl Khawaneej Bus Depot

Al Masar 23-E-May 2010 4/26/10 12:29 PM

tion of a bus parking yard capable of housing 284 buses

(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 sup-

ply 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's 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 geo-

graphical 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

the construction of air-conditioned bus shelters, introduc-

tion of electronic systems such as the journey planner

“Wojhati”, Automated Vehicle Management, Unified Faring

System, 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 employ-

ees who are working tirelessly to complete the project, and

called on the contracting company to do more efforts to com-

plete the project on time.


Al Masar 23-E-May 2010 4/26/10 12:29 PM

RTA's Public Transport Agency announced that its workteams have recently completed setting up of 10 touch screenplatforms; reflecting the latest technology in use in the fieldof passenger information service under Worjahti program(Journey Planner) at several public locations and outlets ofthe Agency.It was confirmed by Essa Abdul-Rahman Al Dosari, CEO ofRTA Public Transport Agency, that the work teams of Plan-ning & Business Development Dep’t of the Agency had coor-dinated with Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Co.(Du) the installation of these intelligent screens at: GoldSouk Bus Station, Main Customer Service Center at RTA's oldpremises in Umm Al Ramool, Rashidiya Metro Station, Al Itti-had Metro Station (2 screens), Khalid bin Al Waleed MetroStation, Burj Khalifa Metro Station, Mall of the EmiratesMetro Station, Dubai International Airport (Terminal 3) MetroStation, and Deira City Center Metro Station.

“These screens are powered by high-speed internet (Wi Fi)connectivity and offered as complimentary service from theRTA to all segments of the community. These screen plat-forms enable public transport users to access Wojhati pro-gram and make prior planning of their journeys and identifythe public transport means available in Dubai such that theycan access their destinations swiftly and travel safely,” saidAl Dosari.These screens are easy to use and so is Wojhati program.The user can either access the website in Arabic or English,then follow three simple steps: firstly enter the name of theplace where the user is in along with the intended destina-tion; which are obtainable from the options automaticallyoffered by the system. The second step calls for the user toselect the date and timing of the journey, and in the thirdand final step the user presses “Map” where he or she willget within a few seconds a list of journeys using various pub-

lic transport modes includinginformation such as the jour-ney time, and a detailed routemap including the names ofareas en route of the con-cerned public transport modealong with the referencepoints and other GIS that helpthe user access the requireddestination in an accurate,speedy and effective manner.Al Dosari expected that thenumber of Wojhati users todouble with the launch ofthese screens which do notrequire more than a few min-utes to use, and yet are con-sidered a great addition,which will undoubtedlyimprove the culture of usingpublic transport among a widespectrum in Dubai Emirate.“This step underscores RTA'scontinued attention to applythe latest technologies andmeans capable of easing theuse of various public transportmeans,” he added.It is note-worthy that WojhatiPortal was launched by PublicTransport Agency on 25 April2009 in a broad press confer-ence held at the Head Officeof the Agency in the presenceof a large number of written,audio, visual and electronicmedia. Once unveiled

Our Services


10 touch screens for public use ofWojhati Program

Al Masar 23-E-May 2010 4/26/10 12:29 PM

Results of “Laptop Service Clinic” campaign, which

was conducted by Information Technology Department

of Corporate Technical Support Services Sector at

Roads & Transport Authority in Dubai had shown clear-

ly that campaign assumptions were correct that laptop

users requires awareness about the importance of

periodic maintenance of their laptops to ensure

smooth & effective operation levels.

Mr. Abdulla Al Madani, CEO of CTSS named this cam-

paign as “Laptop Clinic” to draw user’s attention to the

fact that laptops could get sick like humans and

require periodic checkups.

Despite the fact that ITD invited 650 of RTA’s laptop

users to book a time-slot to benefit from this campaign

only 45 users replied back, only 35 users showed up at

the agreed time and venue.

Abdulla Al Madani, who participated personally in this

campaign that lasted for 3 days along with Abdulla Al

Bastaki, ITD's Director & Esam Al Falassi, ITD's Deputy

Director were delighted that campaign objectives were

achieved successfully. He mentioned that this cam-

paign is one of ITD's initiatives in response to RTA's

staff suggestions during ITD annual survey for 2009.

He added that the campaign main objectives had been

to ensure perfect operation of RTA's laptops through

undergoing specific checkups such as: hardware

checkup, Outlook checkup, performance fine tuning,

preventative maintenance & laptop antivirus scan-

ning. Prior to the campaign a detailed announcement

was done mentioning campaign objectives, methodol-

ogy, method of participation by booking time-slot

through specific link and getting confirmation by email

about time & location of the workshop. Upon arrival to

workshop venue, a technical engineer verifies user

registration and starts the work


Opened for short term to check pulse and spread awareness

Laptop Service Clinic cures technical patients

Al Masar 23-E-May 2010 4/26/10 12:29 PM

Our Services


RTA's Licensing Agency began activation of services provid-ed for vehicles licensing, through ENOC Jebel Ali at Jebel AliFree Zone, Gate No. 5, in coordination with the Jebel Ali FreeZone Authority to direct companies' vehicles operating inthat zone to ENOC Jebel Ali Station, in order to save theirtime and efforts.Mohammad Abdul Kareem Nimaat, Director of VehicleLicensing Department of RTA's Licensing Agency, said thatthat the activation of the Center started with the reception ofcustomers last February to provide a host of vehicle licens-ing services that includes testing services, licensing, numberplates, and Salik Services. He pointed out that the officialworking hours of the Center were 7.30 am up to 03:00 in theafternoon. Mohammad Abdul Kareem also explained that the Centercomprised 6 testing bays; 3 of which for testing heavy vehi-

cles; and the other 3 for testing light vehicles, in addition to6 counters for serving customers, and visitors so as toprocess their transactions as fast as possible. He further added that activation of the Center came inresponse to the wishes of the existing companies in thisarea busy with thousands of light and heavy vehicles relatedto those companies and the idea is to provide those compa-nies with vehicle registration services. “The Agency seeks to provide a host of services which theRTA pays great attention to, including registration, licensingand technical inspection centers, due to the great demandfor such services from customers. This causes congestionand crowds, and thus the idea of multiple centers across keysites came to cancel centralization, reduce human crowdsand provide high quality flexibility and outstanding opera-tional efficiency

RTA Activates Jebel Ali Registration Center toProvide Testing and Registration Services

Engineer Maitha bin Adai, CEO of RTA'sTraffic & Roads Agency revealed that usingthe mobile phone for paying parking feesservice (mParking) was rising steadily inthe Emirate of Dubai as the monthly aver-age of using the service has reached 350kvirtual parking permits, and the number ofsubscribers to the system hit 14k sub-scribers by the end of 2009.“Introduction of this service comes in thecontext of RTA's strategy to provide inte-grated solutions of systems and servicesthat facilitate the use of roads and parkingin a way that keeps pace with the sweepingdevelopment plans witnessed by DubaiEmirate and measures up to world-classstandards applicable in this regard,” saidMaitha."Since the mParking service was launched by the RTA in May2009 starting with Sheikh Zayed Road and Dubai Media Cityup and until the project was completed in November 2009covering all parts of Dubai Emirate, this service played a vitalrole in the remote renewal of the parking tickets through themobile phone, without requiring the parking users to under-go the inconvenience of getting out of their places to go tothe parking machines in order to renew their parking ticketsmanually." "Besides that, this service also contributes to theefforts of Dubai eGovernment to process the majority of dailytransactions in a speedy and smooth electronic format,”said Maitha.“According to the service procedure, once the user parks the(Dubai-registered) vehicle in the paid parking zone, he orshe sends an SMS to the Number: 7275 (PARK) including thevehicle number plate, parking zone code (shown in the sig-

nage), and the required parking period. Theuser then receives an SMS confirming com-pletion of the process; which acts as a virtu-al parking permit including the details ofusing the parking. Owners of vehicles regis-tered in other emirates have to register inthe service through the service portal(www.mpark.rta.ae), or dial the toll-freenumber (8009090) and then follow up theabove mentioned steps such that the user-name is entered instead of the vehicle num-ber,” added the CEO of Traffic & RoadsAgency.It is note-worthy that the mParking service,undertaken by the RTA in cooperation withEtisalat and Du, is the first of its kind in theUAE and the region. The service was intro-duced with the aim of easing the use of pub-

lic parking for residents & visitors of Dubai Emirate. Due toits multiple benefits, the service saves much time & effort ofparking users

mParking service subscribers top 14k last year

Al Masar 23-E-May 2010 4/26/10 12:29 PM

RTA's Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC) has introduced a newTaxi Rank for Hatta Taxi service at Al Awir (near Vegetables &Fruits Market), in response to the needs & expectations ofclients and residents of Hatta town. The new service is alsodestined to improve the quality of service rendered to thelocal community and serve the needs of considerable num-bers of citizens, residents and tourists aspiring to more com-fortable means of transportation.According to Yousef Al Ali, Director of DTC's Fleet Processes& Operation, this new taxi rank had been launched toaddress the needs of residents of Hatta town, and the serv-ice would therefore be exclusive for the residents of Hattaand operate within pre-defined routes from Hatta to Dubaiand back to Hatta. “DTC has deployed taxicabs with a capac-ity for 6 passengers maximum to lift passengers from dedi-cated stops at Sabkha (near RTA's Public Bus Stop), and inAl Awir (near Vegetables & Fruits Market) and the service canbe ordered only by residents of Hatta through the saidrank,s” said Al Ali.He added: “Six (Innova) vans have been deployed for HattaTaxi service; where two of them would operate from Al Awir(near Vegetables & Fruits Market) to Hatta, and the other four

would operate from Sabkha to Hatta and back to Sabkha,and 12 drivers have been selected to work on this service ata fixed monthly salary. The fare is fixed as AED25 per passen-ger, with 4 passengers for each taxicab so that the vehiclewould not stay for long at the rank. Once 4 passengers areloaded, the driver contacts Dispatch Center at RTA's PublicTransport Agency to open the meter at AED100, as per theprevailing practice at Al Ghubaiba Station.“Hatta Taxi service was launched in 2008 as DTC had beenkeen on upgrading the transit system in Hatta, serve theneeds of the local community, and provide a new safe &comfortable transport mode for residents and tourists fre-quently coming to the town to visit its tourist, historical andarchaeological attractions. The service was launched afterstudies revealed that the area needed a taxi service that issmooth, affordable, time-saving, comfortable, and speedy inarriving at the intended destinations,” added Al Ali.Hatta Taxi is offering its services in Hatta town and villagesin the neighbourhood, and from there to Dubai and otherEmirates. The taxi is allowed to pick up passengers fromDubai city to Hatta

RTA's Public Transport Agency; which oversees taxi sector inDubai Emirate, has recently launched Online Taxi Bookingservice, known as e-Taxi. RTA offers this service to the resi-dents and visitors of Dubai as it is vitally important duringevents that warrant prior arrangements to be made by hotels,businesses and organizations in certain occasions such asDubai Shopping Festival. Through this service, the customercan book the required taxicab well in advance to ensure time-ly arrival at the required destination.Commenting on the new service, the CEO of Public TransportAgency Mr. Essa Abdul-Rahman Al Dosari said: “RTA is alwaysseeking to implement Dubai e-Government electronic applica-tions through capitalizing on the world’s top-notch technolog-ical solutions. The online taxi booking service is based on hav-ing the customer’s details and address saved in the Dispatchsystem at the Public Transport Agency; which makes it easy toprocess the booking in subsequent times. A taxi can be booked24 / 7 through accessing the link (http://rta.ae/etaxi), and thisservice is currently available for hotels only.“This service is based on two key elements; the customer andcabdriver. The customer books a taxi and sends the bookingrequest to the Dispatch Section at the Public Transport Agency.The system electronically forwards the request to the nearesttaxicab available in the area of the customer. The cabdriver whoreceives the request is held responsible for auctioning therequest and ensuring arrival to the customer on time withoutdelay,” continued Al Dosari.“The Online taxi booking service would be fully available to thepublic and all segments of the community at the end of this year.

Thisservice is poised to bring about a remarkable cut in the numberof telephone calls incoming to the Dispatch Section at the PublicTransport Agency. This would in turn slash the number of workinghours spent by the Dispatch Section staff for processing theincoming telephone call requests, as the electronic system of thee-Taxi service is automatically operated and is highly efficient inprocessing the requests. This in turn would contribute to upliftingthe caliber of services provided by the RTA to taxi passengers inthe Emirate of Dubai,” added the CEO of Public Transport Agency.“The launch of this service was widely received, for the timebeing, by the hotels in Dubai Emirate, and is expected to boostthe revenues of franchise companies operating under RTA'sumbrella. With the number of internet users in the UAE account-ing for


Dubai Taxi opens new taxirank for Hatta

RTA inaugurates online taxi booking service

Al Masar 23-E-May 2010 4/26/10 12:29 PM

RTA's Marine Agency has transported 16,345,303 passen-gers in 817,265 journeys made by motorized abras in 2009;according to statistics recently released by the Agency.According to Hussein Al Saffar, Director of Operations andMaintenance Dep’t at RTA's Marine Agency, the monthlyaverage of motorized abra ridership clocked 1,362,109 pas-sengers and the daily count was 447,082 passengers. Pas-senger traffic peaked in November hitting 1,589,015 passen-gers ferried in 79,451 journeys,followed by October where1,495,116 passengers weretransported in 74,756 trips.Next came March with1,481,655 commuters ferriedin 74,083 journeys, ahead ofMay where 1,445,120 passen-gers were served in 72,256journeys made by motorizedabras.“Motorized abras operateover two main lines; the firstline shuttles between DeiraOld Souq Station and BurDubai Station. The secondline links Dubai Old Souq andAl Sabkha Stations providing24-hour service. 15 abras aredeployed on this line offeringservice at a fare of AED1 (onedirham) per passenger pertrip. The tourist fare from all

stations is AED100 per hour” said Al Saffar.“In total, there are 149 motorized abras deployed to provideshuttle service between four stations; Al Sabkha Station, BurDubai Station, Deira Old Souq Station and Dubai Old SouqStation. Motorized abras are essential for keeping pace withdevelopment & modernization drive in marine mass transitindustry. They provide transit service to all commuters

Numbers X Numbers


Motorized Abras ferry 16m passengers on Dubai creek

Al Masar 23-E-May 2010 4/26/10 12:29 PM

RTA's Licensing Agency has conducted its first distinguishednumber plates open auction in 2010, at Mina Hall ofJumeirah Beach Hotel. The 66th distinguished numbersplates auction comprised a total of 97 distinguished numberplates: 87 for vehicles, 10 for motorcycles.The Director of Vehicles Licensing of RTA's Licensing AgencyMohammad Abdul Karim Nimaat, said: "Gross proceedingsof the 66th Number Plates Auction, the first of our auctionsin 2010, totaled AED12,005,000/- and the plate (G 44)topped the sales list selling for AED1.8 million in the Auctionwhich witnessed a huge number of participants and atten-dance, who booked up all seats in the hall.He added that the number plate (E 32) came second fetchingAED1,120,000/-, followed by (H 666), which was sold forAED720,000. Motorbike number plate (11110) was sold forAED21,000.He pointed out that 97 plates were sold in the auction includ-ed 2 two-digit plates, 20 three-digit plates, 29 four-digitplates and 36 five-digit plates, whereas the motorbikes num-

ber plates totaled 10, including 1 three-digit plate, 3 four-digit plates and 6 five-digit plates. "The 66th Auction witnessed a renewed heated competitionamong the 400 plus bidders in attendance, including spec-tators. 10 distinguished motorbike licensing plates havegenerated an equal amount of appeal to many bidders thatcompares well with vehicles number plates. Bidders hailedfrom various spectrums of the community and nationalities;which reflects a strong relevance and continuing success ofdistinguished number plate auctions, the number of whichhas now reached 66," said Mohammed Abdul Karim. "Many factors have contributed to the success of this Auc-tion. Examples of these include proper and early prepara-tions of the venue and auctioneer company in advance, coor-dination of associated operational processes, in addition toprovision of several registration points for auction such asDeira Traffic, RTA's Main Customer Service Centre, besidesregistration on the Auction Day at the Auction Hall," he con-tinued.


More than AED12m fetched from auctioning97 Distinguished Plates in Dubai

RTA's Rail Agency has issued 121 offences toMetro users, during February 2010, whilecommuting across the eleven stations of theRed Line, and the statistic reveal a 34% drop,compared to January where 183 offencesissued. The Director of Rail Operation at RTA's RailAgency, Ramadan Abdullah, said that thepublic had become aware of the need tocomply with Offences & Fines Regulations.This is best illustrated by the decline in therate of offence committed which plunged by34%; equivalent to one-third of the totaloffences recorded last January. Issuance ofOffence Code comes in the context of effortsto streamline the Metro use in a practical andcivilized manner synonymous of its standingas the latest and the best transport mode in Dubai. "The Agency issued 121 offences spanning 22 clauses outof the 31 clauses provided for in the Metro Fines &Offences Code. Entering or sitting in areas designated forspecific categories clause topped the list with 67 offencesreported, followed by using public transport means, facil-ities and services or entering/ existing fare zones withoutpaying the prescribed fare clause; which attracted 13offences. Next in the order of offences made came usingthe parking designated for metro commuters for morethan 24 hours clause (12) offences, followed by using the

parking designated for metro commuters for more than 48hours clause (7) offences. Last in the order of offencescame eating and drinking at prohibited areas (4)offences," revealed Ramadan."The Rail Agency issued this Code to ensure smoothmobility on the Metro, and deter unruly individuals fromattempting to cause riots, sabotage or tamper with thestations and the metro, thus maintaining the safety andcleanliness of the iconic Dubai Metro project; the latesttransport addition offered by Dubai," added Ramadan in aconcluding remark.

RTA issues 121 offences to Metro userslast February, drops 34%

Al Masar 23-E-May 2010 4/26/10 12:29 PM

Numbers X Numbers


Al Masar 23-E-May 2010 4/26/10 12:29 PM

RTA's Dubai Taxi Corporation (DTC) has teamed upwith Al Dobowi Group to launch a week-long"Salamtak" tire initiative with the aim of stressingthe importance of tires to the safety of the vehicle,and the need to consider tires as crucial compo-nent of vehicles, and how to maintain them toguard against road risks and surprises.According to Yousef Al Ali, Director of DTC's FleetProcesses and & Operation: "the DTC had coordi-nated this initiative with Al Dobowi Group in thelight of the Agreement made last year for the sup-ply of Korean Hankook Tire brand to the DTC con-forming to the GCC standards for a two-year peri-od. The initiative also came in the context of build-ing and boosting relationships between the DTCand private businesses & vendors with whom theDTC is interacting in various fields.“Drivers have well been briefed to this initiative along withthe accompanying rewards announced and budgeted for thedistinguished drivers in the form of purchase vouchers ofAED100 to encourage other drivers maintain and continuous-ly check tires condition and air pressure regularly,” saidYousef.He added: “This initiative aims at heightening the awarenessof cabdrivers of the importance of tires and carrying out reg-ular checks considering their significant impact on curbingaccidents and frequent problems encountered by taxicabs ofthe DTC fleet, which currently comprises 3504 vehicles oper-ated by more than 7200 drivers on shift basis 24 hours aday.”Al Ali highlighted the key & vital role of tires in maintainingthe safety of vehicle and accordingly the safety of both thedriver and passengers. Therefore, it is imperative to selectthe proper tires and carry out regular checking, as providedfor in the contract made with Al Dobowi Group. DTC seeks toprovide all elements of tire security & safety in order to

achieve the best results and materialize the vision of the RTAand DTC of providing Safe & Smooth Transport for All.“The DTC workshop had been fitted with all the requiredservices, equipment and technicians who carry out regularchecking & maintenance of all taxicabs. The technical capac-ity of the workshop had been upped with the deployment ofmore personnel to commensurate with the volume of therequired jobs to be done on daily or monthly basis includingrepair, service and cleaning of taxicabs,” said the Director ofDTC's Fleet Processes and & Operation.“The workshop is currently operating at 90% operationalefficiency with 145 specialized administrative & technicalstaff working on shift basis at the workshop; which has 54bays for servicing vehicles fitted with the latest tools &equipment used for vehicle repairs. “Coordination is in hand between the workshop and the carwashing station, which carries out body washing for about1500 vehicles and interior washing for 30 vehicles per day.June & July are the busiest months of the year in the work-shop”

Community Safety


Dubai Taxi launches “Salamtak” tire initiative in coop with Al Dobowi Group

Al Masar 23-E-May 2010 4/26/10 12:29 PM

RTA Community


Women's Committee of the Roads & Transport Authority

(RTA), under the chairmanship of the Director of Cus-

tomer Services Department and Chairwomen of

Women's Committee Dr Aysha Al Busmait, held a medical

seminar entitled “Anti-Cancer Foods” to commemorate

the International Women's Day. The seminar was held in

RTA's new premises at Al Garhoud on Tuesday 9 March

and attended by RTA's employees of both genders.

During the seminar, which lasted one and a half hour,

Ms. Nada Zuhair Al Adeeb, Director of Nutrition Dep’t at

the Eastern Medical Zone, Abu Dhabi, made a presenta-

tion explaining the types of cancer triggered by eating

fast foods, poor nutrition and obesity. She highlighted

the latest medical developments in cancer treatment and

stressed the importance of early examination and diag-

noses to curb the spread of these dangerous ailments.

“Fighting cancer ranks high on the priority list of the Soci-

ety, particularly breast cancer, cervix cancer in women,

and prostate cancer in men. Cancer is a killer and

extremely dangerous disease that does not differentiate

between juniors & seniors nor the rich & poor. We live in

countries where 70% of mortality cases are attributed to

cancer diseases. We are liable more than other peoples

to catch this disease for several reasons including the

limited resources for diagnosing, treating and preventing

the onset of this disease,” said Nada.

She concluded by a call for fighting cancer through all

possible means & methods and the enhancement of

therapeutic aspect. She thanked RTA's Women's Com-

mittee for availing her the opportunity to shed light on

this paramount issue and praised its efforts in serving

RTA's employees, especially in women-related issues.

For her part Dr Aysha Al Busmait, Director of Customer

Services and Chairwomen of RTA's Women's Committee,

said: “This Committee has come to light, thanks to the

confidence pinned by RTA's Chairman of the Board and

Executive Director in the crucial role and contribution of

the Committee, whether within the RTA or in linking up

with the community. Thereby it forms a social tributary

enhancing women’s effective contribution to decision-

making process; which is poised to have positive bearing

on the work environment, families and the community as

a whole.”

She added: “The Seminar inspired RTA's employees to

think of several concepts and benefit from the tips

offered by Nada Al Adeeb in cancer-prevention efforts.

RTA was badly in need of such symposiums tackling pre-

vention of cancer diseases which are spreading in the

UAE, and accordingly figure out suitable solutions to curb

the disease.”

The participants expressed their pleasure with the suc-

cess made by the seminar and the valuable insights

which will help participants avoid such diseases, main-

tain health, comply with doctors’ instructions, and pro-

ceed Right Nutrition Dome. Attendance was not restrict-

ed to women but also included several RTA

RTA holds a seminar on anti-cancer foodsThe symposium is held to commemoratethe International Women's Day

Al Masar 23-E-May 2010 4/26/10 12:29 PM


The Roads & Transport Authority(RTA) took part in the global EarthHour campaign, which had beenunleashed on Saturday 27 March2010 for one hour starting from08.30 pm to 09.30 pm, as contribu-tion from us to the efforts of protect-ing the environment by conservingpower, minimizing global warming,and raising the efficiency of environ-mental sustainability.Peyman Younes Parham, Director ofRTA's Marketing & Corporate Com-munication Corporate AdministrativeSupport Services Sector, said:“Through taking part in this globalcampaign, RTA aims at consolidatingthe efforts mustered to showcaseDubai's endeavors to conserve theenvironment, besides lobbying more participants in thecampaign. RTA is equally keen on manifesting the strengthand impact of collective actions in leveraging the requiredchange, disseminating the culture of conserving environ-mental resources among all employees & clients, and reduc-ing the use of electricity consumption throughout RTA'spremises.”“RTA's participation in Earth Hour is illustrated in switchingoff lights in part of Jumeirah Road for 60 minutes startingfrom 08.30 pm to 09.30 pm tonight in reflection of RTA'sattention to conserve the environment and show commit-ment to tackle the climatic change phenomenon and howbest to cope with it. RTA also aims at raising the awarenessof the importance of saving power, supporting the globalefforts in this drive, spreading the culture of power savingamong RTA's employees through e-mailing them materials

shunning the excessive use of power and distributingposters,” he added.“RTA's commitment to protect the environment and preservethe nature as well as the public safety can be achieved bystriking a balance & integration between road systems aswell as mass land & marine transit systems with a view tomaking mass transit modes the favourite means of mobilitybesides introducing technologies to suppress the noisecaused by transport modes.”“RTA will join a rally that starts off Jumeirah Beach Hotel for(1 km) to deliver a symbolic message across a wide segmentof the community. So everyone is invited to take part in thisglobal drive. This is the second time for the RTA to team upwith Dubai Executive Council and Government Departmentsin this global initiative. RTA was officially registered in thewebsite of Earth Hour and its in this campaign is

RTA takes part in the global Earth Hour campaign

Al Masar 23-E-May 2010 4/26/10 12:29 PM

issue no. 23, may 2010 the official monthly magazine of ...issue no. 23, may 2010 the official...

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