Dubai: Sniffer dogs will be used to ensure the safety of passengers using the Dubai Metro, a senior official said.
“Highly competent and well trained personnel have been deployed for the Metro to cope with emergencies and to maintain order in a thorough, professional manner,” said Major General Khamis Mattar Al Mazeina, Dubai Police’s Deputy Commander General.
He said the police were ready to provide the required security services for the Metro.
“Necessary logistics are already in place, such as [the] deployment of sniffer dogs, patrol vehicles and modern surveillance cameras at Metro stations to ensure [the] safety of the system and the passengers,” Al Mazeina said.
He was briefing a high level meeting held to review the security and safety arrangements for the Metro leading up to its launch on September 9 this year.The meeting was attended by Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA; Major General Rashid Thani Al Matroushi, director-general of Dubai Civil Defence; Khalifa Hassan Bin Darai, executive director of The Centre of Ambulance Services; and Abdul Majeed Al Khaja, chief executive officer of RTA’s Rail Agency.
Several officials from the RTA and the operator of the Metro, Serco Co, were also in attendance.
More than 660 police officers have received special training in the dedicated transportation security department for the Metro.
Some 3,000 surveillance cameras in and around Metro stations have already been installed while police stations have also been opened at a number of stations. Al Tayer said the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the RTA and the Dubai Police covers all aspects of enforcement of law and order.
“Apart from ensuring security at the stations, the police will also be involved in crime prevention, responding to emergency and accident evacuation in collaboration with the operator, and compiling regular reports on the security position of the train and the stations as well as reviewing the procedures in place to detect security loopholes,” he added.
The meeting discussed all security procedures in place to ensure the safety of Metro commuters.
www.gulfnews.com By Ashfaq Ahmed, Chief Reporter
