DUBAI // A series of mock disasters will be staged between now and September 9 to ensure emergency service responses are fully honed for the launch of the new Metro.
Officials from the Roads and Transport Authority, Dubai Police, Dubai Civil Defence and the Centre of Ambulance Services met this weekend to review arrangements for the urban rail system’s opening next month and to ensure they are ready for any eventuality.
In a statement yesterday, the RTA said the meeting had agreed to carry out trial runs between now and the launch of the Red Line, the Metro project’s first phase. These trial runs, it said, would measure the extent of response of the work teams … to a variety of emergencies and “verify their readiness”.
A new, uniformed police unit being established to provide security along the Metro lines was ready to deliver the required security services, Major Gen Khamis Mattar al Mazeina, the deputy commander general of Dubai Police, said.
The force, which has undergone training by the British Transport Police, has almost 200 officers ready to patrol the final 74km of track, 47 stations and associated roads serving the Metro. Its eventual strength is expected to be 600.
“Highly competent and well trained personnel have been deployed to cope with all eventualities in a highly professional manner, “ Gen al Mazeina said. “Necessary logistics are also in place such as the deployment of sniffer dogs, patrol vehicles and modern surveillance cameras at stations to enhance the Metro security.”
Reports will be compiled regularly by police and RTA officials to monitor procedures on trains and stations and detect any security loopholes.
Mattar al Tayer, the RTA executive director, stressed the need for all authorities to work as a team during the final stages of preparation to maximise passenger safety.
“Dubai Metro is one of the pioneer projects undertaken by the RTA to keep pace with the sweeping development drive witnessed by Dubai,” he said, and was “therefore set to be a landmark not only in the emirate of Dubai but also across the globe”.
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