DUBAI: As the Roads and Transport Authority bagged a Special Merit Award for Environmental Commitment at the Middle East Rail Exhibition last week, The Gulf Today spoke to the Director of Strategic Planning, Eng. Nasser Abu Shehab, about the agency’s claim to environmental promotion.

Is the RTA responsible for controlling emission levels from private vehicles in Dubai?

We at the RTA have both the regulatory and the implementation responsibility in relation to transportation environmental issues. The Strategy and Corporate Governance sector is responsible for suggesting, formulating and assessing such policies and regulations in co-ordination with relevant entities while the RTA executive arm, including the Licensing Agency, is responsible for implementing and monitoring vehicle emission standards.

Emission tests form an integral part of vehicle testing procedures that need to be conducted for the purpose of registration and licensing all types of vehicles. In addition, the Licensing Agency has the right to monitor vehicle adherence to emission standards while operating on Dubai roads. This is done in co-ordination with relevant local entities, including Dubai Police and Dubai Municipality.

What is the current acceptable emission standards in Dubai?

Current emission standards which are used to test vehicles for the purpose of registration and licensing basically deal with the measurement of carbon dioxide and hydrocarbon levels.

The current acceptable levels of these emissions are 4.5 per cent and 800 ppm, respectively and are considered to be relaxed.  The UAE is a member in the Kyoto environmental agreement and hence RTA has plans to gradually adopt the more strict Euro 4 and 5 standards.

How is the air pollution being monitored?

Currently air pollution is monitored through the emission tests carried by RTA Licensing Agency at the time of vehicle registration and licensing and by Dubai Municipality via a number of strategically distributed stations within Dubai to measure environmental pollution levels. Field campaigns to check the level of vehicle emissions utilising different tools and equipment are within the RTA’s short-term future plans.

What are the current measures put in place by the RTA in their transport system?

We highly value environmental sustainability. This is clearly reflected in our corporate strategic plan. One of the eight strategic objectives stated in that plan is devoted to “Safety and Environmental Sustainability.”

RTA has attained a number of remarkable environmental achievements which include preparation and release of environment protection policy and environment management system;  preparation of a contracts environmental management plan which aims at reducing the environmental impact of project construction activities; the use of Euro 4 and 5 engines with the highest international environmental standard in all of its new buses. More info

Dubai: Saudi Arabia’s new metro system will ease traffic congestion during the annual Haj pilgrimage, a top official has said.

* Image Credit: EPA * Pilgrims using the new Makkah Metro. The capacity of the Makkah metro will be 70,000 to 80,000 persons per hour in one direction.

The Haramain High Speed Rail project, which is under construction, will be a 449.2km high-speed inter-city system linking Madinah and Makkah.

Each year three million to four million pilgrims travel to Saudi Arabia to perform the Haj.

During the Haj around two million people come from abroad by air and an estimated one million come by road.

During this period, Makkah, which has a resident population of 1.7 million, experiences high congestion from the 70,000 vehicles that transport the pilgrims between the sites of the pilgrimage.

“The number of pilgrims is increasing. We have about 70,000 buses moving between [three holy places].

“It’s very difficult to transport more than three million pilgrims in a very limited time and space,” said Salim Al Bosta of the Central Directorate for Development of Projects at the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs.

“The target group of the metro system will be the pilgrims from inside the country, from the Gulf states and pilgrims coming by land by bus,” he added.

Shuttle transport from Arafat to Muzdalifah, which is about 12km, can take six to eight hours, and in some cases up to 10 hours because of the congestion. More info

Jan 31 (Reuters) – Tenders for the Doha Metro project will be issued in the second quarter, Qatar Railways Co’s group director said on Tuesday, in the second delay in tendering the $41 billion rail project.

“It will be in April or May,” Ghanim al-Ibrahim told Reuters by telephone.

In October, the company said it would delay tenders until the first quarter of 2012 in order to complete more detailed studies on the project.

Qatar Railways, which had originally planned to issue the first tender by the end of 2011, said in October it had received bids from around 60 consortiums with at least two contractors each.

The project will include four rail lines and will link stadiums for the 2022 soccer World Cup which Qatar will host, with an underground component in the centre of the capital Doha. It is expected to employ more than 20,000 workers during the peak of construction. More info

DUBAI: Ayele Abshero and his Ethiopian colleagues turned the marathon tide substantially Friday  in a sizzling Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon which rewrote the record books.

Winners with organizers and sponsors after the trophy presentation in the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon. (AN photo)

Abshero, just turned 21, ran the fastest winning debut in history, taking the title in an event record time of 2:04:23 — the fourth fastest in history — while the top three finishers in the women’s event, won by defending champion Asselefech Mergia Medessa, all smashed the 2:20:00 barrier.

Abshero, the 2009 Junior Cross Country World Champion, also established himself as a leading contender for Ethiopia’s Olympic trio — if not victory at London 2012 — as he headed an Ethiopian 1-2-3, with Dino Sefir second in 2:04:50, and Markos Geneti third in 2:04:54, both personal bests.

The quality of the performances was such that based on the final finishing times, Friday’s $1 million race featured the greatest marathon field in history.
The Kenyans who carried all before them last year in the marathon world were firmly rebuffed. Jonathon Maiyo placed fourth, in 2:04:56, but he was the only non-Ethiopian in the top 10, most of whom set personal bests. Pre-race favorite Martin Lel dropped off the lead group before 30k, but soldiered on to finish 35th in 2:34:57.

It was an Ethiopian red-letter day all round with Medessa defending her Dubai title, running an Ethiopian and course record, with a personal best of 2:19:31, finishing just ahead of Kenyan debutante Lucy Kabuu, a further three seconds adrift. Again Ethiopians dominated, with Mare Dibaba third in a personal best 2:19:52.

Abshero, whose most notable feat apart from his world junior cross victory was beating Kenenisa Bekele in a 15km road race three years ago, maintained that his finishing time was his target. “I thought I could run 2:04 today,” he said after receiving his trophy and the winner’s check of $250,000 from Abdulrahman Al Owais, the UAE minister of Health and Culture, Youth and Community Development, and Jonathan Morris, Standard Chartered CEO in the UAE.

“But it’s hard to plan for your first marathon as I really just didn’t know what was going to happen. But I’m very happy. I’m now the number one in Ethiopia, and I think it could be the Olympic Games for me.”

Abshero’s time is only headed by Kenyans Patrick Makau — with his world record 2:03:38 — and Wilson Kipsang (2:03:42) and his illustrious colleague Haile Gebrselassie (2:03:59). But shattering Geb’s Dubai course record by 30 seconds has cemented his place in the emirate’s sporting history

Held under the patronage of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president and prime minister of the UAE, and staged under the aegis of the Dubai Sports Council, the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon attracted 17,000 runners  in the marathon, the 10km and the 3km Fun Run but few received as loud a cheer as Medessa and Kabuu who provided a thrilling end to the women’s marathon.

“I know the course so I felt confident,” said Medessa, who edged out Kabuu by just three seconds. “I prepared well and I’m delighted with 2:19. I’m now the best Ethiopian — and with a time like that, I hope to be selected for the Olympic Games.”

It was the first time in international marathon history where three women have all ran under 2:20:00 underlining the event’s IAAF Gold Label status and its standing as one of the greatest marathon stages in the world. More info

DUBAI // Roads will be closed around Downtown Dubai and Al Satwa tomorrow morning for the Dubai Marathon.

The 42-kilometre race starts at 7am on Emaar Boulevard, which will be closed to traffic and is scheduled to reopen at 2pm, according to the race programme. The 10km race starts at 7.15am and the 3km fun-run starts at 10.30am.

Roads in Old Town will be closed from 4am to 2pm. Jumeirah Beach Road will be closed until mid-afternoon.

Runners were told roads will reopen six hours after the start of the race and were advised to use footpaths after that.

Organisers told race participants that footbridges on Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall metro station and Business Bay metro station will open early, even though the metro does not operate until 2pm on Fridays. Participants can park in Al Wasl and walk over Sheikh Zayed Road to the starting line. Organisers also strongly advised competitors to take taxis to avoid delays looking for parking.

The RTA will announce more details later today on changes to bus routes and schedules as well as road closures tomorrow.

The race continues up Doha Road and turns on to 312 Street, which runs behind DIFC and Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

It then turns left on to the D73, continues over the Trade Centre roundabout and down Al Diyafah Street in Al Satwa.

The race then turns right on to Jumeirah Beach Road for more than a kilometre as far as the end of D94 and the entrance to Dubai Dry Docks. The route then turns, going for about 12.5km as far as the Public Beach next to the Jumeirah Beach Hotel. It then turns back on the same route and continues back up Jumeirah Beach road, Al Diyafah Street, behind DIFC and back along Emaar Boulavard to the finish line.

It is the first time in its 13-year history that the race will start in Downtown Dubai. Previously, the starting line was in Media City and ran along Jumeirah Beach Road. More info

With the London Olympics just months away, some of the world’s elite distance runners will be competing for glory at the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon on Friday.

Visually impaired Henry Wanyoike (left) and his long-time running partner Joseph Kibunja. (PATRICK CASTILLO)

The iconic Burj Khalifa will provide a magnificent backdrop to the biggest ever gathering of athletes in the 13th running of the Dubai marathon.

Emaar Boulevard will be converted into a ‘Marathon City’ with traffic being closed to the public between 5am and 2pm as a record number of over 15,000 runners are expected to compete in the 42km marathon, 10,000km and 3km fun race.

With the weather expected to remain at 18 or 19 degrees celsius and no forecast for rain, the organisers are keeping their fingers crossed for the elite field to set a fast pace in one of the flattest marathon courses in the world.

Headlining the quality field for the IAAF (International Amateur Athletic Federation) Gold Label race will be Kenyan Martin Lel who is gradually getting back to his best after a two-year spell on the sidelines through injury.

Runner-up at last year’s London Marathon, the 33-year-old is one of the greats of the discipline having five major titles to his name thanks to a record-equalling hat-trick of victories in London (2005, 2007 and 2008) and a double in New York (2003 and 2007).

With a personal best of 2:05.15, Lel has the credentials to win on his debut in the world’s richest marathon this week. But he won’t have it all his own way in a race that offers both the men and women’s champion a cheque for $250,000 and is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, and staged under the aegis of the Dubai Sports Council. More info and photos

Funding has been approved for four Department of Transport (DoT) projects by the Abu Dhabi Executive Council.

Abu Dhabi Metro

They are the Mafraq-Ghweifat motorway to the Saudi border, the Dubai-Abu Dhabi motorway, a metro and light-rail transit system and the alleviation of Abu Dhabi’s traffic congestion.

Further details about budgets, project design and completion dates have yet to be released.

The Mafraq-Ghweifat motorway links the urban area south of Abu Dhabi to the Saudi Arabian border and is part of a strategy to develop industry, tourism and social development in the Western Region.

Almost 3.5 million passengers crossed the Ghweifat border last year. The region has 9 per cent of the emirate’s population and 58 fatal crashes per year, according to the most current police statistics. Road fatalities are double the national average.

The new three-lane, 327-kilometre motorway will run parallel to the existing two-lane road, the main thoroughfare in the region.

The plan includes drainage tunnels, underpasses for livestock, petrol stations, ambulance points and bridges for safer turning.

The existing two-lane motorway, where people often drive at speeds of more than 140kph, has U-turns and is largely unlit.

The project previously went to tender under a public-private partnership basis in 2010.

In May, the DoT said it was re-evaluating plans to use a public-private partnership to build the Dh10billion motorway, which has been in development since 2009.

Bidding companies spent millions in the tendering process.

Support for the new Abu Dhabi-Dubai motorway indicates a positive feasibility study, but the DoT has yet to release further details about design.

The first light-rail transit (LRT) segment is expected to be operational by 2016-17. The DoT earlier stated that the preliminary design would be finished by this summer. No further details were provided.

“The Abu Dhabi metro and LRT projects are currently under feasibility studies and the results will be announced accordingly,” a DoT statement said.

More info

Abu Dhabi Metro project. Video

The metro rail system will run approximately 131km, and will be supported by tram and bus feeder services. Besides serving the projected increase in population of the city and relieving congestion, the metro will connect the mainland with communities such as Saadiyat, Yas Islands and Al Raha Beach.

Meanwhile, the capital — already committed to sustainable transportation in its Plan Abu Dhabi 2030 — has raised the bar a level higher by signing the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) Charter on Sustainable Development.

Source:  www.youtube.com

Dubai: Authorities will construct as many as 3,000 bicycle parking spaces for Dubai Metro users, by the first quarter of this year, it was announced yesterday.

* Image Credit: Pankaj Sharma/Gulf News * The RTA is encouraging the use of bicycles with the construction of parking spaces at Dubai Metro stations. The move also aims to avoid unruly and haphazard parking of bicycles near the stations, damaging public property.

The move comes in a bid to avoid unruly parking of bicycles such as by tying them to trees, light poles or traffic signals, Maitha Bin Udai, CEO of Traffic and Roads Agency at the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), said yesterday.

“Such practices inflict damage to public property, block visibility for motorists and road users, and distort the general appearance of neighbourhoods, particularly in tourist areas,” she said.

Parking spaces for bicycles will be constructed near stations along both Red and Green Lines. The parking spaces have been designed in a way that makes them accessible and easy to use, according to the RTA. The decision is a step forward in enhancing integrated public transport systems in Dubai, she said.

Promoting use

Maitha urged residents to use bicycles, particularly for short trips, as they help ease heavy usage of vehicles and thereby reduce environmental pollution.

“The project comprises the construction of about 3,000 bike stands near the Metro stations. Phase 1 of the project was completed earlier, with 212 stands built at eight stations on the Red Line,” she said.

These include 96 parking spaces at Al Rashidiya Station, 16 at Khalid Bin Al Waleed Station, 32 at Jafliyah Station, 16 at Financial Centre, 32 at Mall of the Emirates Station, 16 at Ibn Battuta Station, and about four stands at Nakheel Station.

“RTA has completed the construction of bases for about 1,200 new stands on the Red Line stations and has planned to complete them by the first quarter of this year.” Maitha added. Phase 2 of the project, which involves construction of bases for about 1,100 parking spaces on Green Line stations, will begin later.

In future, all Metro stations will be integrated with dedicated cycling tracks, said Nasser Abu Shehab, Director of Strategic Planning, at RTA’s Strategy and Corporate Governance Sector. More info

The Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has completed the construction of a large number of bike stands as part of the initial phase of allocating bike stands at Dubai Metro stations on both the Red and Green Lines with a view to enhancing integrated public transport systems in Dubai Emirate, and accordingly encourage the public to use bikes particularly in short trips.

The rest of bike stands, the total number of which is 3000 stands, are set to be completed in the first quarter of this year.

Engineer Maitha bin Udai, CEO of Traffic & Roads Agency, said:”The RTA is always seeking to boost various public transit modes and bring them in line with the best practices worldwide. The use of bikes is a positive practice that contributes to easing the intensive use of vehicles and accordingly alleviates the ensuing environmental pollution. We are therefore focusing on this project and seeking to turn it into a reality in cooperation with RTA Rail Agency.

“The project comprises the construction of about 3000 bike stands near the metro stations on the Red and Green Lines. Phase I of the project, which has been completed earlier, comprised the construction of 212 bike stands at 8 stations on the Red Line out of a total of 1974 stands. These include 96 stands at Al Rashidiya Station, 16 stands at Khalid bin Al Waleed Station, 32 stands at Jafliyah Station, 16 stands at Financial Center Station, 32 stands at Mall of the Emirates Station, 16 stands at Ibn Battuta Station, and about 4 stands at Nakheel Station. RTA has completed the construction of bases for about 1200 new stands at the Red Line stations and it is planned to have them completed by the first quarter of this year.

“Phase II of the Project, which will be started in future, comprises the construction of bases for about 1100 stands on the Green Line stations. These stands are subject to increase following the completion of comprehensive surveys that will be continuously undertaken by the concerned departments at the Traffic & Roads Agency. Accordingly, it will be possible to identify the number of users and the most popular stations in order to fit them with more stands in future. Should the project prove successful, we have plans in place to allocate stands at the business & vital locations in Dubai Emirate that have dedicated lanes for bikes. More info

The Roads & Transport Authority – Mohammed Al Munji: His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the Roads & Transport Authority (RTA), revealed that the public transport means of the RTA, which span the Dubai metro, public buses, marine transit modes and taxis (Dubai Taxi only), have lifted in 2011 more than 346.5 million passengers compared with 332 million passengers lifted in 2010, according to the recent figures released by RTA’s Statistics Section.

His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the Roads & Transport Authority (RTA).

The average number of daily riders of public transport means reached 963 thousand passengers whereas the figure was in the range of 922 thousand passengers in 2010.

“In keeping with the drive to enhance the integration of public transport modes as outlined in RTA’s Strategic Plan, which is aligned with the Dubai Strategic Plan (Infrastructure Sector) aimed at providing an integrated roads & transport system that ensures smooth traffic flow & high safety levels to all users, the RTA has been endeavouring to upgrade the mass transit systems to make them the ideal choice of people in the Emirate.

These efforts come in implementation of RTA strategic objective of minimizing the use of private vehicles and maximizing the use of public transit means (including taxis) from 13% in 2006 to 30% in 2030. In 2010 this rate reached 15% and in the middle of last year it jumped to 19%,” said Al Tayer.

“The Dubai Metro comprising the Red and Green Lines, has lifted more than 69 million passengers in 2011. The number of commuters who used the Red Line reached 60.024 million passengers, and the number of commuters who used the Green Line, which has been launched on 09/09/2011, reached 8.982 million passengers, thus the daily ridership of the metro currently exceeds 191 thousand passengers. The total ridership of public buses in 2011 reached 107.407 million passengers making an average of about 298 thousand passengers per day.

The total ridership of marine transit modes, which include abras, water bus and water taxi, reached about 14.221 million passengers where abras ferried 13.8 million passengers, water bus lifted 371 thousand passengers and the water taxi lifted about 13 thousand passengers, thus the average daily ridership of marine transit modes is about 39,500 passengers per day. More info