Source: www.rta.ae
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announces that it will provide special services aimed at offering temporary traffic solutions involving the broadening the scope of bus, taxi and metro transit services at the Dubai Mall/Burj Khalifa station during Eid al-Adha holidays from 6 to 9 November with the aim of streamlining the traffic flow and easing passenger mobility during this period in cooperation with Emaar Properties and the General HQ of Dubai Police.
A statement to this effect was made in a press conference held by the RTA in its Head Office yesterday in the presence of the CEO of Rail Agency Adnan Al Hamadi, Executive Director, Emaar Properties Abdullah Lahij, Acting CEO of Public Transport Agency Ahmed Al Hammadi, Director of Traffic at Traffic & Roads Agency Hussain Al Banna, Dr. Aysha Al Busmait Director of Marketing and Corporate Communication and representative for the Dubai Police General HQ First Lieutenant Mohammed Al Qaizi.
“The metro will deliver excellent services during Eid al-Adha days in order to cater to the additional numbers of commuters comprising citizens, residents and visitors, particularly those coming from the GCC countries, and offer them smooth mobility service,” said Adnan Al Hammadi, CEO of RTA Rail Agency and Head of RTA External Events Organizing Team responsible for operational processes.
“We have upgraded the service at Burj Khalifa Station through separating entry and exit points, and improving the operational efficiency of the Station. We have also installed 4 additional gates and modified 2 gates to ease the passengers flow in the station and avoid any congestion due the influx of visitor during this period.
“We have also revised the frequency of the feeder bus service (F13) to be 4 minutes during peak hours, changed bus pick up and drop off points, upped the number of buses from 5 standard type buses to 10 articulated buses in order to raise the passenger capacity by 60% per bus, and realigned the schedules of the metros and feeder bus services,” he explained.
About the temporary solutions offered by the RTA during Eid days, the CEO of Rail Agency said that RTA’s concerned bodies would re-set the main traffic signals at the Financial Center Street to suit the traffic flow generated during peak hours. Temporary electronic signage would be provided on the main roads to alert motorists if parking slots were fully occupied in order to move to alternative car parks such as those of the Dubai Mall, and provide express shuttle bus service to lift visitors to the Mall. 6 traffic signals in the surroundings of the Boulevard of Dubai Mall/Burj Dubai within Emaar district have been linked with RTA main traffic signaling system at the Financial Center Street.
“Coordination is in hand with the Public Transport Agency to deploy taxicabs at Dubai Mall/Burj Dubai Station to execute more than 10,000 trips per day during Eid days through deploying 500 taxicabs per peak hour, and 300 limousine cars to beef up the taxi fleet along with the preparation of a parking area for taxi and lemo cars outside the Mall area fitted with entry and exit points.
Coordination is also underway with the Dubai Police General HQ to direct vehicles in the direction of Al Khail Road in case of tailbacks extending up to Sheikh Zayed Road, besides tasking additional staff from the metro operator to streamline passengers embarkation and disembarkation process,” said Al Hammadi in a final remark.
Abdulla Bin Lahij, Executive Director, Dubai Project, Development & Contracts, Emaar Properties, said: “We are honoured to partner with RTA for the elaborate preparations and arrangements being made to manage visitor flow within Downtown Dubai during this Eid Al Adha holidays.
Downtown Dubai with its iconic attractions including Burj Khalifa, The Dubai Mall and The Dubai Fountain is one of the most-visited tourist, retail and leisure destinations in the city today. RTA has created a very integrated approach to increase connectivity and ease traffic flow to Downtown Dubai, described as ‘The Centre of Now.”
