Source: www.rta.ae
The Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has reported that as much as 74 per cent of individuals killed in traffic run-over accidents during the past 3 years in Dubai are subjects of three Asian countries namely: India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Engineer Maitha bin Udai, CEO of RTA Traffic & Roads Agency, said: “The Agency has carried out a wide-ranging survey spanning several roads & districts in the Emirate through which it identified the spots witnessing recurrent run-over accidents. Accordingly, the Agency instituted remedies tailored to each location including the provision of footbridges, subways, surface crossings, speed calming means and pedestrian fencing to fend off pedestrian jay walking in dangerous spots.
“The ignorance of traffic rules and safe crossing precautions in highways on the part of some Asian nationals is responsible for the high traffic casualties reported among this category. The Agency is therefore attaching paramount importance to running educative efforts and taking technical measures oriented to road users, particularly amongst workers community,” she continued.
“We have carried out a host of initiatives and projects related to pedestrians’ safety including the construction of several bridges, crossings, and speed calming means conforming to the highest international practices; which have brought down the run-over fatalities in Dubai last year to the least level since 2000.
“The Agency is working on the construction of 13 pedestrian bridges in 2012 and 2013 at various parts of Dubai, including two bridges on Emirates Road; the first near Workers Accommodation at Muhaisna, and the other near Fruits & Vegetables Market at Awir. Works are also underway in other footbridges at Al Mina, Sheikh Rashid, Al Wuhaida, Amman, Latifa bint Hamdan, Abu Baker Al Siddique and Al Khaleej Roads.
“We have recently completed several engineering solutions at Mirdif to ease pedestrian movement from and to Mirdif City Center due to the proximity of the Center from residential districts in keeping with the Pedestrians Safety & Movement Plan in Dubai; which aims to ease and augment the pedestrian movement in the Emirate by as much as 20 per cent.
“The Traffic & Roads Agency is working in accordance with a specific set of standards for designing and constructing pedestrian crossings in Dubai streets including the compiling of traffic studies addressing population density in the neighbourhood, road speed, and services provided at both sides of the road. The findings and solutions recommended by such studies are thus translated into technical & traffic projects that may involve the construction of pedestrian bridges, designating pedestrian crossing points or setting up light signals,” explained Maitha.
“The Traffic & Roads Agency has undertaken a plethora of technical measures in different spots that witnessed run-over accidents including the erection of fences to fend off pedestrian crossing on Amman & Marrakesh Streets and Al Qouz Industrial Area. It has also provided pedestrian crossings at Khawaneej 1, Umm Hurair 2, Nahda 2, and Rashidiya, besides setting up signalized pedestrian crossings on Al Khaleej Road and Mirdif. These measures have eased the pedestrian movement in those areas in keeping with the executive plan of pedestrian safety & traffic in Dubai emirate,” said the CEO of Traffic & Roads Agency in final comment. More info
