Sh. Zayed Road – Dubai Metro – UAE 1, 06.03. 2010

Source:  www.youtube.com

]]> http://dubaimetro.eu/video/4525/dubai-metro-uae-1/feed 0 http://dubaimetro.eu/construction-technology/4522/dont-misuse-public-facilities http://dubaimetro.eu/construction-technology/4522/dont-misuse-public-facilities#comments Mon, 08 Mar 2010 08:03:16 +0000 internetcont http://dubaimetro.eu/?p=4522 By Fatima Suhail, Gulf News Reader  www.gulfnews.com

Since we sold our car, I have become a frequent traveller and user of public transport. Firstly, I would like to congratulate the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and commend their efforts in providing transport facilities for the residents of Dubai.

* While Gulf News reader Fatima Suhail enjoys using public transport, she said commuters must adhere to rules and not misuse facilities. * Image Credit: Fatima Suhail/Gulf News Reader

But one thing that disappoints me is that even after millions are being spent by the government on the well-being of its people, some residents continue to misuse public buses.

It was quite astonishing for me to witness a man seated beside us, placing his foot on the seat in front of him. I do understand that people can be tired, but this does not allow them to rest [their feet] on the seats where passengers sit, and make them dirty. This sort of behaviour is intolerable and [such people] should be heavily penalised.

Many of us may exit the buses, thinking they are sparkling clean, and hang or place our clothes back into our wardrobes. We may even go to religious places, such as mosques or churches, believing that our clothes are clean and pure.

But the truth is that due to such people, and their mistreatment of facilities, our clothes become dirty — [the germs] may not even be visible to the naked eye. It is because shoes go into almost every nook and cranny.

Many a time children may drop something edible on the seat, and then eat the same thing — this is so unhygienic and poses a high risk to our health.

I am glad that eating and drinking in buses is already prohibited by the authorities. I urge the authorities to monitor such activities and behaviour across all buses, water buses and the Dubai Metro.

Stricter penalties should be imposed on such passengers in the form of fines, as well as by confiscating their Nol cards, or not allowing them to use public buses for a week or so.

These kinds of penalties would help people realise the value and benefit of public transport, and may help them control their behaviour.

I would appreciate it if such punishments are implemented.

The reader is a recent graduate of Preston University, residing in Dubai.

Be a citizen reporter. Tell us what is happening in your community. Write to us at readers@gulfnews.com

H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of Roads & Transport Authority (RTA), revealed that RTA mass transit modes (comprising Dubai Metro, public buses, marine transport modes and taxis) had lifted more than 288.777 million persons in 2009 and the daily ridership of public transport modes exceeded 842 thousand peoples. “This number is likely to grow with the successive opening of more metro stations on the Red Line starting from April 2010 and continuing over the remaining months of the year. Dubai Metro is expected to commute about 35 million passengers in 2010 and the number of metro users is to receive a big boost with the opening of the Green Line in August 2011” stated Al Tayer.

Dubai metro

“In keeping with RTA Strategic Plan envisioning integrated mass transit systems; which is aligned with Dubai Strategic Plan (Infrastructure Sector) that seeks to have in place an integrated roads and transportation system characterized by smooth traffic flow and high safety levels to all users, RTA is strenuously seeking to upgrade mass transit modes with a view to making them the favourite means of transportation for the people of Dubai. This drive also meets one of RTA strategic objectives vis-à-vis minimizing the use of private vehicles and raising the share of mass transportation systems from 6% in 2009 to 30% by 2020” stated RTA Chairman of the Board and Executive Director.

“In 2009, public bus ridership hit 120 million persons with a daily ridership of 325 thousand passengers, and the ridership of marine transport systems (abras and the water bus) was about 17 million passengers. Daily ridership was in the order of 50 thousand persons in abras, and 1500 persons in the water bus.
“Since it was launched on 09/09/2009 till the end of February 2010, Dubai Metro has lifted about 11.29 million persons with an estimated daily ridership of 80 thousand commuters. This number is likely to rise with the operation of several key metro stations such as Airport Terminal 1 Station, Karama Station, Trade Center Station and Ibn Battuta Station among others, on 25 April 2010 such that the metro ridership in 2010 is anticipated to reach 35 million persons. This number will be substantially increased with the operation of the Green Line in August 2011 as it serves vital areas as well as commercial and government offices, and passes across a densely populated area.

“Taxicabs in Dubai Emirate make about 192 thousand trips every day, lifting about 385 thousand persons each day. In 2009 taxi trips exceeded 70 million trips serving around 140.45 million persons.

“The huge investments pumped by the Government of Dubai in developing the infrastructure of transport sector have proved successful and effective. The rising growth in the number of mass transport users illustrates the evolution of public transport culture among all segments of the community, particularly with the introduction of the metro service.

“Using mass transportation has multifarious benefits to users such as bringing psychological relief, minimizing crashes, slashing fuel & maintenance expenditure for private vehicles, and ridding the public of the inconvenience of finding a parking slot; which has become one of the challenges facing most modern cities across the globe. Moreover, using public transport effectively contributes to minimizing pollution resulting from the massive number of private vehicles, triggering many illnesses; particularly respiratory diseases.

“RTA is always seeking to improve its business process through introducing innovative solutions and strategic initiatives stemmed out of its vision of providing Safe & Smooth Transport for All. It is also upgrading the quality of services rendered to the public in a way befitting the regional and global profile of Dubai in the fields of commerce, business, service, finance, property, tourism and other vital sectors” said Al Tayer in a concluding remark.

DUBAI — Dubai is set for an economic revival as a projected rise in crude oil prices will give a much-needed fillip to government spending, generating further opportunities for businesses and investors alike, a top official of Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry said on Wednesday.

Dubai metro

The support from sovereign wealth funds in tandem with high oil prices, lower inflation rates, fiscal stimulus packages, introduction of new and transparent laws and a well-balanced 2010 Dubai Budget will surely help turn the tide in the business community’s favour, said Eng Hamad Buamim, Director General of Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI).

Speaking at the first Economic Seminar of the year at the DCCI premises, Buamim argued that the economic climate of Dubai was changing with trade, exports, logistics and financial sectors emerging as promising growth drivers for the economy.

He said the global financial crisis has brought in changes in the economic demographics of the emirate.

“All the positive indicators for the year 2010 show that Dubai is still a sound investment destination in the region as is proved by the surge in the number of passengers travelling through Dubai International Airport, the timely launch of the Dubai Metro and other infrastructure projects.  Apart from these, an 11 per cent growth in the value of exports of Dubai Chamber members in 2008 compared to 2007 underscored the strength of the export sector as a strong driver of the economy,” he said.

The seminar titled “Competitiveness Agenda for Dubai: Implications and Issues and New Business Environment beyond Crisis,” also reviewed  “Dubai Traders’ Outlook for 2010.”

The panel of speakers included Dr Belaid Rettab, Executive Director, Economic Research and Sustainable Business Development Sector of Dubai Chamber.

The post-crisis era’s new business environment will be shaped by the confluence of forces including a significant decline in financial leverage or reduction in total debt, decrease in appetite for risk-taking by all economic agents and decline in consumption and spending, according to a presentation at the seminar.

“The regulatory environment will be characterised by an expanding role of  the government, especially in the financial sector. Another restructuring that has an implication for the business environment takes place as the bigger role assumed by the state paves the way for increased collaboration between the public and private sectors,” said the presentation.

According to the Competitiveness Agenda, the UAE is ranked 23^rd in the global competitiveness index 2009-2010.  The government has been strengthening public/private partnership and planning cluster developments to enhance competitiveness and productivity levels, a good example of which is the setting up of the Emirates Competitive Council that works towards developing future competitive strategies to boost UAE’s position on the world economic map, speakers at the seminar pointed out.

Email: issacjohn@khaleejtimes.com

‘ Zak Alzaim ‘, Dubai Metro video, Dubai – UAE, , 25. Feb 2010

Source:  www.youtube.com

Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has recently unleashed “Read More” initiative for students in public and private schools in the Emirate of Dubai, in the context of RTA corporate social responsibility; which is also considered translation of the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, towards assigning more attention to building humans before the place. HH says, “The development of man is the foundation on which a nation is built. This building cannot be considered complete without first developing the citizens, who are regarded as human wealth, constantly giving”.

HE Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of RTA said, “The aim of Read More Campaign is to promote reading culture of school students aged 7-14 years, develop their understanding, further their thinking horizons, encourage their reading habits & skills, and enable them exploit their leisure time in a useful manner, and nothing is better than the Book. The campaign; which aims to reach nearly ten thousand students from 20 government and private schools in Dubai, will be launched from March and lasts through the end of the first semester of the academic year 2010-2011.

“A work team from RTA will pay visits to the targeted schools. Books and publications commensurate with the target age groups will be distributed; which will be characterized by clarity, conciseness and simplicity to ensure that the information is well-understood. Seminars and lectures on various topics will also be held focusing on topics related to mass transportation and its role in preservation of the environment through reducing emissions from vehicle exhausts, as well as raising traffic awareness and compliance with laws and rules of road traffic. Nations thrive on science, thinking and reading, so education is the main tool to achieve this end and overcome challenges confronting the countries of the region. This could well be achieved through encouraging the community members to use mass transportation in their daily travels, to alleviate traffic jams and reduce vehicular pollution” said Al Tayer.

He also added: “RTA opted to target students as they represent the future generation, and as we need to start with educating our children, who are still in the process of building their talents and cultural aptitudes on issues of environmental sustainability, and mass transportation so that we can nurture an educated & enlightened generation capable of orienting its society. We also aim to develop a new pattern of unheralded habits among the society such as reading hobby, encourage innovative educational output, and forge new partnerships & cooperation with all parties for the sake of a better tomorrow.

In an initiative unprecedented across the Middle East and North Africa, Public Transport Agency at the Dubai Roads & Transport Authority (RTA), announced that the work team of Planning & Business Development Dep’t of the Agency teamed up with the GIS Section at IT Dep’t of the RTA and Google Inc. to upload Dubai public bus stops information on the digital space of Google Earth. The move will enable public bus users in the Emirate of Dubai visiting Google Earth portal to check this information at any time and from any place.

“RTA is keen on capitalizing on the latest technology, including the digital space, and this recent step of providing access to public bus stops information through Google Earth will enable users to view the information, including the routes passing through these stops. They can also return to RTA portal to obtain more information about the bus routes by checking the link to RTA website displayed on Google Earth and from there to the Journey Planner (Wojhati) or else, they can access the link (Google Transit); the second option that takes the user to Wojhati” said Mohammed Abu Baker Al Hashemi, Acting CEO of Public Transport Agency and Director of Business Development Dep’t at the Agency.

“Google Transit is an exclusive term that illustrates the integration between the RTA and Google Inc. on the digital space through Google Maps. It follows that placing RTA website on a global portal as important as Google, is considered promotional vehicle to introduce the RTA to a considerable chunk of internet users across the globe. This initiative will undoubtedly contribute to facilitating prior planning of journeys on board public buses for all commuters such as residents, visitors and tourists”.

“Uploading public bus stops information on Google Earth is an added service that is set to boost Wojhati initiative unleashed by Public Transport Agency in the first quarter of last year. The new initiative will certainly empower larger numbers of users worldwide to access the public bus network in the Emirate of Dubai.

“This technology aims at assisting the users of Dubai public buses with the selection of the ideal mobility method, and offering the available options as per the starting and destination points as well as journey schedules. The service also enables both residents and visitors to inquire about bus schedules and routes either through checking RTA website or Google Transit; which places Dubai at par with the highly sophisticated cities in the field of public transportation worldwide” added Al Hashemi.

“Displaying public bus mobility information on the digital space reflects our objective of providing bus users with the information that assist them with their daily life and empower them to track the best mobility routes in their daily travels,” he concluded.

Dubai metro and Sheikh Zayed Roa. 01.03. 2010

Source:  www.youtube.com

Dubai has ordered government departments to cut spending by 15 per cent as the emirate aims to plug a budget shortfall that has grown since the global economic downturn.

Dubai metro

Officials have been told to make the cuts to save Dh3.7 billion (US$1bn).

Revenue from the new Dubai Metro, the Salik road toll system and other infrastructure projects also form part of the Dubai Government’s planned “efficiency measures” aimed at bringing the budget back to surplus.

Under a budget approved in January, the Government said it expected to run a Dh6bn deficit, its second shortfall in a row despite cutting spending by 6 per cent.

“These are cost-efficiency measures announced as a follow-up to the most recent stated budget,” said a spokeswoman for Dubai’s Department of Finance. “The stated budget remains unchanged.”

Dubai’s Supreme Fiscal Council, headed by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, announced the cost-cutting measures as it prepared a budget plan for 2011 to 2013 that aims to turn the emirate’s Dh5.99bn budget deficit into a surplus.

Its economy has been weighed down by a steep fall in the property market and large debt, recently estimated by the IMF to be $109bn.

“Improving economic conditions and prudent fiscal policy should allow government finances to return into surpluses in the medium term,” said Tim Fox, the chief economist at Emirates NBD.

In Dubai, government revenues are expected to reach Dh29.4bn this year, with expenditure projected to total Dh35.4bn. The Government expects this year’s budget deficit to be equal to about 2 per cent of GDP.

Monica Malik, the chief economist at EFG-Hermes in Dubai, said she had forecast a slightly higher deficit, equal to about 4 per cent of GDP, although details of Dubai’s spending and budgeting remained limited.

“Our growth figure has taken into account Dubai’s stretched fiscal position, which is further heightened by the result of the heavy debt burden of Dubai Government-related entities,” Ms Malik said.

The focus of any government spending would probably be on infrastructure, she said.

Dubai has invested heavily in infrastructure projects in recent years. The Dubai Metro is expected to be fully operational next month, and the Al Maktoum International Airport is also opening this year.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, last December issued laws to cut costs that require departments to submit their annual budgets for approval to Dubai’s Supreme Fiscal Committee.

The emirate had forecast its first ever deficit for its 2009 budget, at 1.3 per cent of 2007 GDP, or Dh4.2bn.

tarnold@thenational.ae