Source: www.rta.ae
The Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) is keen on the optimal implementation of the current and future drive of the Dubai Government towards stepping up the interaction between the public & private sectors; which is reflected in undertaking several joint projects to serve all community members including tourists & visitors of prime tourist hotels in Dubai Emirate with the aim of adding to the tourist profile of the Emirate through providing advanced tourist marine transit modes examples of which include the Water Taxi and Ferry Dubai.
In implementation of this principle and discerning vision, the Public Transport Agency has concluded a number of joint cooperation agreements with a host of major hotels in Dubai such as the Atlantis, The Palm Jumeirah, where it was agreed that the Hotel would provide a marina for the Water Taxi Station, and promote the services of the Water Taxi and Ferry Dubai, whether in the Hotel or on the dedicated buses of the Hotel.
In keeping with this drive, the Public Transport Agency has recently honoured Atlantis, The Palm Jumeirah Hotel in the presence of Mohammed Ali Al Bastaki, Director of Marine Transport, Public Transport Agency; Serge Zaalof, COO Atlantis, The Palm Jumeirah; and several managers from both parties.
“Atlantis ranks among the world’s finest & prestigious hotels offering tourist and entertainment services, and boasts premiere recreational and residential facilities. The core objective of this joint cooperation with the Hotel is to achieve mutual benefits through chalking out a framework for partnership relationships and making joint efforts towards improving the marine transit services in general and enhancing the efficiency of the Water Taxi & Ferry Dubai services in particular. The Agreement also seeks to maintain bilateral communication in order to serve the common interests, and allows for the Hotel management to publicize the services of marine transit modes within the Hotel,” said Al Bastaki.
“Among the goals served by this Agreement is: Goal Number (3): Customers First; which is dedicated to heeding to customers requests and raising their satisfaction with mass transit services in the Emirate, Goal Number (4), which relates to promoting the use and ridership of mass transit means, and Goal Number (6), which focuses on achieving financial sustainability through augmenting revenues of the Water Taxi, optimizing the use of assets, and stepping up the interaction between the public and private sectors. Other initiatives will also be introduced with a view to involving the largest possible number of hotels that have waterfronts in Dubai and boosting the culture of linking the public transport network in the Emirate with hotels in the neighbourhood as well as those in downtown area.
“The marine transit modes play a core and crucial role in helping the tourist business in Dubai particularly in cooperation with hotels privileged with waterfronts. This gives added weight and significance to the cooperation between the public and private sectors in this field towards enhancing the tourist mass transit means which serve a large segment of visitors, tourists and residents alike,” added the Director of Marine Transport.
For his part Serge Zaalof, COO Atlantis, The Palm Jumeirah, expressed his delight with this decoration awarded by RTA Public Transport Agency and commended the projects carried out by the RTA to serve the users of mass transit systems in Dubai, including passengers of mass transit modes.
“We, in Atlantis, The Palm Hotel, are keen on broadening the joint cooperation between the RTA, represented by the Public Transport Agency, in an effort to nurture a common business environment that offers superb services to visitors & residents of the Hotel as well as users of the Water Taxi in general; which can be achieved through the concerted efforts of both parties,” he added.
At the end of the decoration ceremony which took place in the Atlantis, The Palm Jumeirah Hotel, Mohammed Ali Al Bastaki, Director of Marine Transport, presented the trophy of the Public Transport Agency to Serge Zaalof, COO Atlantis, The Palm Jumeirah, and also presented Certificates of Appreciation to employees of the Hotel who contributed to realizing this objective. Such felicitation was intended to express RTA’s recognition and gratitude to the management & staff of the Hotel for their efforts in boosting the services of the Water Taxi and Ferry Dubai.
In a related development, the Public Transport Agency also honoured the management of the Marina Mall in recognition of its effective role, expeditious efforts and cooperation in constructing stations for abras in Dubai Marina. The event took place in a visit made to Marina Mall by a team of the Marine Transport Dep’t of the Public Transport Agency in the presence of its Director Mohammed Ali Al Bastaki; Tomas Dvoracek, General Manager of Marina Mall, and several managers and officials of both parties.
Tomas Dvoracek stated that the Marina Mall would stand ready to cooperate with the Public Transport Agency, particularly as the Mall has a waterfront overlooking the Dubai Marina; which is considered a key tourist landmark in the Emirate.
“Providing a marine transit mode in Dubai Marina would definitely enhance the tourist business in Marina Mall since RTA marine transit means are crucially important for uplifting the tourist transport especially during the tourist season of the Emirate when scores of tourists and visitors pour in from all corners of the globe,” said the General Manager of Marina Mall in a final remark. More info
