DUBAI // The Metro will double its number of trains when seven new stations open next month, which transport official say will cut travel times for rush-hour commuters by almost half.

The Al Karama Station will open in a few months’ time. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National

The number of trains on the Red Line will be increased to between 24 and 26 from 12 when the new stations are added to the system’s only operating line on April 25, said Ramadan Abdullah, who heads rail operations for the Roads and Transport Authority’s Rail Agency.

Maximum waiting times at stations should drop to six minutes from 10 minutes during rush hour, he said. During off-peak times, passengers will still have to wait 10 minutes between trains.

The seven stations that are opening are Emirates, Airport Terminal 1, GGICO, Al Karama, World Trade Centre, Marina and Ibn Battuta.

Commuters yesterday welcomed the prospect of spending less time waiting on platforms.

Chris Fernandez, 34, a supermarket manager from the Philippines, said: “If I do not have to to wait around on the platform for 10 minutes for another train, it is a good idea. Sometimes you miss the Metro because people on the escalators don’t get out of your way and you know the train is about to leave, or you can also miss a connecting bus by seconds.”

Rajesh Shah, 28, a shop assistant from India, said: “I will not have to wait around for long. In the evenings it’s good because the traffic on Sheikh Zayed Road will not affect the trains’ running times.”

Mr Abdullah also said trains would pause for less time to pick up passengers to help cut journey times, although he could not say by how much.

At present, trains wait for almost two minutes at stations such as Mall of the Emirates and Union while passengers board and disembark.

“We will reduce that to make the train operation more efficient,” Mr Abdullah said.

Shilpa Bharat, 24, a secretary from India, called the current two-minute waits annoying and said the move would probably save a few minutes for each journey.

The Metro’s operating times are also being reviewed, Mr Abdullah said. Currently, the service stops at midnight and does not begin until 2pm on Fridays.

“We are considering changing the opening times on Fridays and the midnight closing times. It will be all studied and we will see if the demand is there, which it all depends on. If people say we have to open, we’ll open,” Mr Abdullah said.

After the seven stations are operational, there will be only 11 left on the line to open. Construction on all 29 lines is expected to be completed by late April.

Figures provided by the RTA show that 10 million passengers used the Metro in its first five months.

The driverless train system celebrated its six-month anniversary this month, with many passengers praising it as a much-needed alternative to driving along Sheikh Zayed Road, which is often gridlocked during rush hours.

Once the second track, the Green Line, is completed in August next year, it will be world’s longest driverless metro system.

The combined cost of both lines has risen from Dh15.5 billion (US$4.2bn) to an estimated Dh28bn.

eharnan@thenational.ae

Dubai metro will double its number of trains when seven new stations open next month, according to a report on Friday.

According to The National daily, a transport official said that the move would reduce the maximum waiting times at stations from 10 minutes to six minutes during rush hour.

Ramadan Abdullah, head of rail operations for the Roads and Transport Authority’s Rail Agency said that the number of trains plying on the Red Line will be increased to around 25 when the new stations become operative from April 25.

Currently there are 12 trains on the Red Line, the daily added.

However, passengers will still have to wait 10 minutes between trains during off-peak times, according to The National.

The remaining works in the stations on Dubai Metro’s Red Line will be completed in April 2010, and all works in the stations on the Green Line will be completed in August 2011, a senior official from Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) announced in a press release last month.

Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of RTA said that the contractor of the Dubai Metro Project; Dubai Rail Link (DURL) Consortium; is set to complete all the remaining works on the Red Line (18 stations) on 25 April 2010.

All works in the stations on the Metro’s Green Line will be completed in August 2011, he added.

“The operation of Red Line stations will be in phases starting from April 25th, 2010; where several key stations will be operational; namely Emirates Station, Airport Terminal 1 Station, GGICO Station, Al Karama Station, World Trade Center Station, Marina Station, and Ibn Battuta Station. The remaining stations will be operated over the following months of 2010″ Al Tayer said.

More than 842,000 people used Dubai’s public transport systems a day on average last year, official figures reveal.

The number is set to rise in 2010 with the full opening of the Metro’s Red Line next month.

About 35 million passengers are forecast to travel on Dubai Metro this year.

Dr. Aysha Al Busmait, Director of Customer Service Dep’t, Chairman of Women’s Committee at Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), commended the support and patronage of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, and his brother, His Highness Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler Dubai along with Their Highnesses Members of the Supreme Council and Rulers of the Emirates, to the UAE Women Empowerment drive. She thanked Her Highness Sheikha Fatima Bin Mubarak, Supreme Chairwoman of Family Development Foundation, Chairwoman of UAE General Women’s Union, for Her Highness attention and constant follow up of the UAE Women Progress, to which she has accorded full attention and support.

The above statement was made during the celebration of RTA Women Committee of the International Women’s Day, featuring participation of Dubai Quality Group, where UAE Women’s Award was highlighted.

“Celebrating International Women’s Day, which marks the 8th of March each year, is an opportunity to feature the social, political, and economic achievements of women” said Dr. Aysha.

“RTA pays special attention to females and is working towards creating appropriate conditions to allow skilled young female nationals to assume important leadership positions, and participate along with their men counterparts in achieving the ambitious vision and strategic objectives of the RTA.

“The support of His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of RTA, to female employees, which was translated into the establishment of RTA Women’s Committee. One of the objectives of the committee is to strengthen and activate the role of women working in the RTA and the society, and develop the cooperation and team spirit among RTA Female Employees of the Commission, as well as providing an environment befitting the aspirations of leadership to develop women cadres to contribute to achieving RTA Objectives and its strategic prospects, promoting women’s social, cultural and sports activities, and enhancing RTA profile in the society” added Dr. Aysha. She noted: “Work is up and running in opening a nursery for the children of RTA employees in order to provide the appropriate environment for RTA female employees and their children as well”.

Munira Safar, Director of Marketing and Corporate Communications Dep’t in the Ministry of Education, commented on her experience in participating in the UAE Women’s Award,” which aims at highlighting the distinctive contributions of businesswomen and professional women in striking some sort of equal opportunities in order to build a better society. The award is intended to encourage women to participate in the process of economic development of the country as well as focusing on role models of leading female contributions in order to motivate women.

“I have participated in three sessions, but I was unlucky in two sessions, however, I did not lose my patience. On the contrary, I became more determined to achieve my goal. I benefited from all observations made by the Award Administration. I managed to obtain the Award at the third session, which I considered a culmination of my long years of government work, and volunteer work in many associations and committees, continued Munira”

She added, “The secret of my success is the balance between the requirements of home, overseeing the family, and meeting the requirements of work, whether in government or in public benefit associations” she added.

In conclusion, Dr. Aysha Al Busmait and Ms. Laila Tahir, Director of RTA Executive Office, honored Mrs. Munira Safar, Maryam Bin Thani Al Falasi, and Samia Al Yousuf in recognition of their participation in the ceremony.

More than 200 delegates & specialists took part in the premier rail annual event H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) headed RTA delegation that took part in Asia Pacific Rail Conference held in the Thai capital Bangkok; where H.E. presently RTA experiment in achieving Dubai Metro Project.

H.E. Mattar Al Tayer delivered a keynote speech in front of more than 200 key decision makers in railway industry as well as railway operators, bankers, financiers, risk management & insurance consultants, contractors and vendors; in whihc he reviewed a host of core topics related to the leadership role in achieving Dubai Metro Project.

“The leadership and generous patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, was the underlying factor for completing Dubai Metro project on time. HH kept the project under close look, tracked various construction phases and made site visits marking the project milestones. In March 2006 HH laid the foundation stone of the project, in January 2007 HH launched the initial tunneling works of the metro tunnels, and in September 2008 HH launched the trial run of the metro on the test track stretching from Jebel Ali Station to Ibn Battuta Station” said Al Tayer.

“HH directed to address all security and safety requirements at the highest global standards; which proved a crucial element for completing the project without significant construction incidents. HH directed to buy another Tunnel Boring Machine to speed up the tunneling drive and accordingly the tunnels of the Red and Green Lines were completed ahead of schedule” said Al Tayer. He stated the key factors underlining the completion of the project which included a well-defined vision, mission and objectives, and the continual follow-up of the work progress in various phases of the project, as well as the teamwork spirit, cooperation and communication with various internal & external relevant parties. Contributing factors also included the proper management of risks and challenges, developing integrated work programs spanning all stakeholders and sub-contractors, documentation, and benefiting from learned lessons.

Al Tayer went on to say that the leadership team was confronted with several challenges in the course of completing the Dubai Metro project and cited examples such as the need to assess the key project details, overcoming technological issues that shoot up (such as tunnel ventilation), taking strategic decisions (such as the phased opening of the Red Line Stations), commitment to open the project on time (09.09.09), coordination with the diverse parties of the project, and dealing with engineers workers belonging to about 200 nationalities. “In rising to these challenges, the leadership team was driven by the strict compliance with the directives of HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum which were communicated to everyone engaged in the project construction, be it RTA employees or the Consortium undertaking the project. It was stressed to all bodies that the decision to open the project on the pre-determined date at the signing of the project in 2005 was irreversible and things have to be carried on accordingly. All potentials and resources of all RTA agencies and sectors have been mobilized to ensure the timely delivery of the project”.

Al Tayer reviewed some of the decisions taken which had considerable impact on expediting the progress of the metro project such as the establishment of Dubai Metro Project Forum; comprising senior RTA executives, as well as project contractors and Consultant, with a view to speeding up decision-taking in core issues. The Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA assumed direct responsibility for the project as of May 2009 and made daily site visits when the operation date approached. HH adopted various tools to achieve this end including rotation of site supervisors, and payment of instant rewards to the excellent supervisors at various locations. Based on several inputs, the decision of the phased operation of the metro service on the Red Line was taken.

“The stations opened were selected on the basis of several standards at the top of which came the population density in the area served by the station for the convenience of those living in the vicinity of the station, availability of commercial activities in the area served by the station, availability of government activities in the proximity of each station, the station linking with multi-level parking lots, the station linking with multi-modal transportation means (such as buses and marine transit systems), and the projected number of passengers at each station” said Al Tayer in a concluding remark.

H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) headed RTA delegation that took part in Asia Pacific Rail Conference held in the Thai capital Bangkok; where H.E. presently RTA experiment in achieving Dubai Metro Project.

Al Tayer delivering his speech in the conference

H.E. Mattar Al Tayer delivered a keynote speech in front of more than 200 key decision makers in railway industry as well as railway operators, bankers, financiers, risk management & insurance consultants, contractors and vendors; in whihc he reviewed a host of core topics related to the leadership role in achieving Dubai Metro Project.

“The leadership and generous patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, was the underlying factor for completing Dubai Metro project on time. HH kept the project under close look, tracked various construction phases and made site visits marking the project milestones. In March 2006 HH laid the foundation stone of the project, in January 2007 HH launched the initial tunneling works of the metro tunnels, and in September 2008 HH launched the trial run of the metro on the test track stretching from Jebel Ali Station to Ibn Battuta Station” said Al Tayer.

“HH directed to address all security and safety requirements at the highest global standards; which proved a crucial element for completing the project without significant construction incidents. HH directed to buy another Tunnel Boring Machine to speed up the tunneling drive and accordingly the tunnels of the Red and Green Lines were completed ahead of schedule” said Al Tayer. He stated the key factors underlining the completion of the project which included a well-defined vision, mission and objectives, and the continual follow-up of the work progress in various phases of the project, as well as the teamwork spirit, cooperation and communication with various internal & external relevant parties. Contributing factors also included the proper management of risks and challenges, developing integrated work programs spanning all stakeholders and sub-contractors, documentation, and benefiting from learned lessons.

Al Tayer went on to say that the leadership team was confronted with several challenges in the course of completing the Dubai Metro project and cited examples such as the need to assess the key project details, overcoming technological issues that shoot up (such as tunnel ventilation), taking strategic decisions (such as the phased opening of the Red Line Stations), commitment to open the project on time (09.09.09), coordination with the diverse parties of the project, and dealing with engineers workers belonging to about 200 nationalities. “In rising to these challenges, the leadership team was driven by the strict compliance with the directives of HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum which were communicated to everyone engaged in the project construction, be it RTA employees or the Consortium undertaking the project. It was stressed to all bodies that the decision to open the project on the pre-determined date at the signing of the project in 2005 was irreversible and things have to be carried on accordingly. All potentials and resources of all RTA agencies and sectors have been mobilized to ensure the timely delivery of the project”.

Al Tayer reviewed some of the decisions taken which had considerable impact on expediting the progress of the metro project such as the establishment of Dubai Metro Project Forum; comprising senior RTA executives, as well as project contractors and Consultant, with a view to speeding up decision-taking in core issues. The Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA assumed direct responsibility for the project as of May 2009 and made daily site visits when the operation date approached. HH adopted various tools to achieve this end including rotation of site supervisors, and payment of instant rewards to the excellent supervisors at various locations. Based on several inputs, the decision of the phased operation of the metro service on the Red Line was taken.

“The stations opened were selected on the basis of several standards at the top of which came the population density in the area served by the station for the convenience of those living in the vicinity of the station, availability of commercial activities in the area served by the station, availability of government activities in the proximity of each station, the station linking with multi-level parking lots, the station linking with multi-modal transportation means (such as buses and marine transit systems), and the projected number of passengers at each station” said Al Tayer in a concluding remark.

Using your car might give you a greater sense of control, but taking the Metro gives you more confidence to reach your destination without an accident, according to Dr Raymond H. Hamden, a clinical and forensic psychologist with Human Relations Institute in Dubai Knowledge Village.

* Using your car might give you a greater sense of control, but taking the Metro gives you more confidence to reach your destination without an accident, Dr Raymond H. Hamden says. * Image Credit: Supplied

If you’ve been taking the Metro to and from work, chances are your general stress levels are lower and your family is happier.

You don’t bite people’s heads off for having an opinion.

Using your car might give you a greater sense of control, but taking the Metro gives you more confidence to reach your destination without an accident, according to Dr Raymond H. Hamden, a clinical and forensic psychologist with Human Relations Institute in Dubai Knowledge Village.

He said: “Psychologically, people who venture in a less stressful environment are people who are more relaxed, calm and therefore find a sense of happiness in their daily schedule and activity.”

He added that using the Metro would offer people more time to get work done on their phones or laptops. If not, you could always attend to personal work, like making phone calls, or make friends with other commuters.

As more stations continue to be opened, the Metro has become more accessible. Dr Hamden felt that this would directly result in an increasing number of people using the Metro for business as well as personal purposes.

“Another aspect of taking the Metro is the walking distance between the drop-off point of the public transport to the office and home, which is healthy both physically and psychologically,” Dr Hamden added.

“We know from positive health psychology research that when people walk frequently, it actually re-balances chemicals in their bodies, lending to a calm and relaxed feature. This relieves a person from depression, anxiety as well as general stress.”

Faster than cars, faster than fairies in pumpkin carriages, the gold shell stations whistle by. Over towers, trees and through a tunnel the Dubai Metro flies with the city’s people — over 10 million to date, as per the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).

* An average of 63,986 people using the Metro daily. The train system appears to be quite popular with the younger generation. * Image Credit: Ahmed Ramzan/Gulf News

It’s become a way of life for some and an easy alternative for many. The blue trains took to the Red Line on September 9, 2009. Six months on, we attempt to find out how Dubai residents are using the mass transit system.

Rajesh Chaturvedi is a man for whom the minutes and seconds count. An accountant by profession he would spend an average of four hours every day commuting to and from work. The journey from Bur Dubai to the Dubai International Financial Centre, as the crow flies should not take more than 30 minutes.

“I would leave home by 7.30 and reach office by 9.30am. I had to change buses and would be tired waiting in queues,” he told Gulf News.

The evenings were not much different. He would leave work by 6.15pm and stagger home two hours later. “My wife was always complaining … I was too tired to go out in the evenings.”

The Metro helped the 34-year-old Indian discover life. “Now I leave home at 8.40 and reach work by 9.15am!” He wakes up at 8am and uses the commute time to listen to the news and music on radio.

“I am happy and my family is happy … it is so much more relaxing,” Chaturvedi said.

“I see a lot of people including Emiratis take the Metro to work … they get off at the Financial Centre station,” she said.

Sana leaves home in Mirdif at 7am, takes a bus to the Rashidiya station and travels to the Mall of the Emirates. From there she takes a taxi to the university. The commute time is about 90 minutes in each direction.

“I use the Metro for safety and it is more cost effective. I return quite late, sometimes it is 9 or 10pm because of my studies. I take the train because there are people around rather than being alone in a taxi,” she said.

“Also taking a taxi for the entire distance would mean I end up paying more than my tuition!”

She hopes that Nakheel station, which is closest to her university will open soon. “I am in my freshman year so the schedule is not that busy but next year there is going to be more work. I won’t be able to spend so much time commuting.”

The train system appears to be quite popular with the younger generation. Uday Bhatia, a 14-year-old student from a school near the Dubai Marina area, said: “A lot of kids use the Metro … many students from my school use it.”

He was speaking to Gulf News at the Khalid Bin Al Waleed station. Bhatia prefers the train as he “hates” sitting in a car stuck in traffic.

Mums and babies

Claire Elven-Dechoux, a 35-year-old British mum, uses the Metro to get around with her 18-month-old son, and avoid taxis, traffic and save money. She said: “I use the Metro a couple of times during the week to visit friends and go to malls. It is very helpful and quite easy to travel with a baby.”

For Naweed Lalani, who takes the Metro from the Al Rigga station in Deira to his office along Shaikh Zayed Road, it is the joy of arriving at work relaxed and free of stress.

“It takes me 22 minutes from home to work each day. Earlier it used to take 45 minutes to an hour on the return journey,” said the financial consultant. He takes the train to work around 7.50am and returns home at 6.20pm.

“I can now take the Metro, read the paper and start work early on my Blackberry. Earlier there was also the issue of finding parking.”

Lalani finds the train journey to be a great opportunity to study people and social behaviour. “I am a youth motivational speaker and can observe attributes that link to an age group.”

However, the best aspect of the Metro, he feels, is that it is a great social equaliser. “I see people who earn well, UAE nationals and others using the system. It is nice to see the respect that nationals show the women and the elderly. The Metro keeps you down to earth.”

In figures

• 1.58m – passengers at the busiest station — Mall of the Emirates
• 63,986 – average number of people using the Metro daily
• 447,902 – average number of peopleusing the Metro weekly

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