Source:Â www.emirates247.com
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has inaugurated the station and model vehicle for Al Sufouh Tram in Dubai, which is the world’s first tram that runs with ground power feeding on the entire line without need for electrical wires in the air.
Sheikh Mohammed was accompanied by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai.
Sheikh Mohammed and Sheikh Hamdan endorsed on Sunday the interior design of Al Sufouh tram vehicles and a number of Road and Transport Authority (RTA) initiatives to enhance the role of mass transport in the emirate.
Sheikh Mohammed was briefed by Eng. Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer, Board Chairman, Executive Director of Road and Transport Authority (RTA), about the route of Tram, which extends 14.7 km along Al Sufouh Street. 10.7 km will be executed in the first phase at cost Dh4 billion. It will start from Marina district to Emirates Mall.
Al Tayer continued that the project includes 25 vehicles, of which capacity of each vehicle is 400 passengers, and 19 stations, 13 of them will be set up in the first phase.
He expected the Tram will transport about 5,000 passengers in one hour from each side.
Sheikh Mohammed was also briefed about some initiatives taken and implemented by the RTA to step up mass transport in Dubai, among others, allocation of special routes for buses and taxis in some roads to avoid the traffic congestion on Al Mankhol, Al Khaleej, Al Mussla, Khalid bin Waleed, Al Ghubaiba roads and later Al Ittihad road.
Al Tayer said 250 million passengers used mass transport in 2009, expecting the number to rise to 350 million passenger at the end of this year.
Sheikh Mohammed expressed his satisfaction about the Tram project, which complements other transport means in Dubai. He also appreciated the projects being implemented by RTA, considering them as pillars of infrastructure and factors for attraction of tourists.
He congratulated the RTA officials for their accomplishments.
The inauguration was also attended by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Aviation Authority, CEO of Emirates Group, Sheikh Saeed bin Maktoum bin Jumaa Al Maktoum, Mohammed Ibrahim Al Shaibani, Director General of the Court of Ruler of Dubai, Hussein Nasser Lootah, Director General of Dubai Municipality, Ahmed bin Byat, CEO of Dubai Holding, Khalifa Saeed Suleiman, Director General of the Department of Protocols and Hospitality in Dubai and other senior officials. More info
