mattar al tayer...roads and transport authority dubai chairman of board andexecutive director mattar...

Roads and Transport Authority

Dubai

Chairman of Board

andExecutive Director

Mattar Al Tayer

Alongthe

way

A fresh season-

al start

As holy month of Ramadan is around the corner, and as we are bracing for ahappy Eid, it gives me an utmost pleasure to express my sincere congratula-tions and good wishes to HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President ofthe UAE, and his brother HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, as well as to theirHighnesses Members of the Supreme Council and Rulers of the Emirates andthe whole UAE, Arab and Moslem worlds praying to Allah Almighty to mark theoccasion for all of us and other Muslims with prosperity and success.I would also like to avail this opportunity to congratulate all parents and stu-dents on the beginning of the new academic year 2010 – 2011, wishing them ayear of study marked with creativity and excellence.The Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) assigns paramount importance toschool transport sector, particularly private schools, with the aim of providingtop-class safety, security and comfort standards in all school buses such thatour kids will enjoy a safe & smooth mobility.Pursuant to Order No (2) for 2008 governing school transport in Dubai Emiratepassed by the Executive Council of the Dubai Government, RTA published the“School Transport in Dubai Manual,” which sets the respective responsibilitiesof school managements, operators, school bus drivers, students and parentsin all matters related to school transport.This Manual also sets the general specifications of school buses that are char-acterized by their distinctive yellow color, and sets the detailed specificationsof seats & interior configurations, and safety standards, which in turn includea cluster of further specifications such as observing the maximum speed limitof 80 km/h, and providing a First Aid kit as well as a fire extinguisher on board.No school bus has to have a lifetime exceeding 15 years and they must be fit-ted with high back support and individual seat belts. The Manual also sets theconditions and specifications of obtaining a school bus driving permit thatrequires the driver to be issued with light bus driving license, and not less than25 years of age.The Manual has not overlooked parents who play a great role in training andeducating the kids on the importance of traffic safety, waiting for and boardingthe school bus, submitting complaints to the management of the school andRTA's Public Transport Agency about any violation or failure on the part of thedriver. It also urges students to maintain the cleanliness and integrity of theschool bus.

Mattar Al TayerChairman of the Board and Executive Director

Roads & Transport Authority

General Supervisor

Aysha Al BusmaitDirector of Customer Service

Editorial Consultant

Maher Al Kayyali

Managing Director

Mohammed Al Munji

Editing Manager

Khulood Al - SharafNashwan M. Al Taee

Art Director

Sara Al Mudharreb

Layout

Mohd Hassan Al Hafiz

Admin Coordinator

Afaf Al Fayyad

Photography

Syed Zaheer Haidar

RTA Address

P.O.Box 118899United Arab EmiratesTel: +971 4 2844444Fax: +971 4 2906661

www.rta.aeContact Us:

Tel: +971 4 2844444Fax: +971 4 2906661

Email: [email protected]

content

4Issue 27 - September 2010 . www.rta.ae

Cover Story

Dubai Metro ridership hits23m passengers since Sept’09: Al Tayer

H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the

Board & Executive Director of the Roads &

Transport Authority, revealed the Dubai

Metro ridership broke the barrier of 23 mil-

lion passengers since the launch of the

service on 09/09/09 up to the first of week

of July 2010. Al Tayer also stated that the

daily ridership of the Metro has reached a

new height on Thursday 01 July 2010

clocking 130,529 passengers.RTA honours the winners of TrafficSafety Contest

In the context of its ‘Read More’ initiative, the Roads &

Transport Authority (RTA) has recently honoured the

children who won the ‘Traffic Safety’ contest in an

event held by Marketing & Corporate Communication

Department at RTA new premises, Umm Al Ramool,

where engineer Maitha bin Udai, CEO of RTA Traffic &

Roads Agency, distributed the prizes and appreciation

certificates to the winners who submitted the best

drawings.

Engineer Maitha stated that 17 artistic drawings had

been selected from 703 drawings submitted in the con-

test which was launched at Al Mawakeb School. The

winning drawings had been selected on the basis of

meaningful artistic standards and implications, and the

extent of valuable informational traffic safety content.

Train 5757 schoolbus drivers,845 bus attendants

The number of new bus

drivers who have been

issued with “School Bus Dri-

ving Permits”, following

completion of training at

Bus Fleet Drivers Affairs

Department, Public Trans-

port Agency of Roads &

Transport Authority (RTA)

since the introduction of the

School Transport Law in

2008 up to now, has

reached 4317 drivers.

1144

88

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H.E. Sergey Krasnogor, the Russian Consul in Dubai,

praised the model adopted by the Roads & Transport

Authority (RTA) in easing traffic jams and developing

modern mass transit systems and road networks that

meet future requirements in a record time; which made

Dubai a focal point to many countries seeking to find solu-

tions for traffic bottlenecks saddling many metropolitan

cities across the globe.

The Russian diplomat made this statement when he was

received by H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board

and Executive Director of the RTA, in his office at the

RTA, where the two parties explored ways and means of

boosting cooperation and exchanging expertise between

the RTA and the its counterpart in the Russian Federation.

During the meeting Al Tayer briefed the Russian Consul

on the key projects currently undertaken by the RTA such

as revamping and constructing several roads, inter-

changes, new crossings on the Dubai Creek, Dubai

Metro, marine transport, and public transport projects.

“Upon developing its plan to address traffic congestions,

RTA was committed to apply the best global practices and

accordingly adopted integrated solutions towards upgrad-

ing & widening roads network and Creek crossings, carry-

ing out all-out improvements in mass transit systems

(spanning the metro, tram, buses & marine transit

modes), and developing traffic & transport technological

systems to achieve optimal utilization and highest efficien-

cy of roads & transport system,” said Al Tayer.

“The UAE in general and Dubai in particular are witness-

ing massive developments that led to an influx of peoples

and business; which prompted RTA to prepare all means

of transport infrastructure, such as road networks and var-

ious types of marine & land transport means, including

buses & taxis, to accommodate the accelerating growth in

population, projects and urbanization” added RTA Chair-

man of the Board and Executive Director.

For his part H.E. Sergey Krasnogor, Russian Consul in

Dubai, said that his government is interested in benefiting

from the experience of the RTA in easing traffic conges-

tion in a short period of time in order to apply this model in

solving the huge traffic congestion & tailbacks experi-

enced by the Russian capital Moscow. He added that the

Government of his country would despatch a high-ranking

delegation to visit the RTA to review its experience in solv-

ing congestion problems and developing a modern trans-

portation system and road network to serve future needs.

The Russian Consul in Dubai expressed his admiration for

the Dubai Metro Project, air-conditioned shelters for pas-

sengers of public buses, adopting policies to reduce the

semi total reliance of the public on private vehicles, and

raising the occupancy of other means of transport, includ-

ing mass transport systems.

Our News


Russian Consul explores benefiting fromRTA expertise in easing traffic congestion

Mattar Al Tayer receiving the Russian Consul

H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board & Executive

Director of Roads & Transport Authority (RTA), recently

received H.E. Mohammed Abdi Hilo, Ambassador of the

Kenyan Republic to the UAE, H.E. Nadolo Welfred, Manager

of Nairobi Municipality, and other delegation members from

various Kenyan departments and organizations.

During the meeting the Kenyan delegation reviewed RTA

expertise in solving traffic congestions in a record time and

encouraging the transition into using mass transit systems.

The two parties also discussed the cooperation and

exchange of expertise between the RTA and its Kenyan

counterpart.

RTA Chairman of the Board and Executive Director briefed

the Kenyan Ambassador on the key projects currently under-

taken by the RTA such as improving roads network and con-

structing new crossings across Dubai Creek; where the num-

ber of crossings has jumped from 19 lanes at the time of

establishing the RTA to 48 lanes. He also touched on the con-

struction and widening of key roads such as the Dubai

Bypass Road, Emirates Road, Al Khail Road, and the Paral-

lel Roads Project. He also highlighted the Dubai Metro proj-

ect extending 75 km in the Red and Green Lines, Safouh

Tram, and marine transport projects which include the water

bus, water taxi and Ferry Dubai, as well as upgrading public

transport bus fleet through buying more buses and building

stations to serve passengers.

“The UAE in general and Dubai in particular is witnessing

huge development that led to an influx of peoples and busi-

ness; which warranted preparing various types of infrastruc-

ture, such as road networks and transport modes (metro,

marine transport means, buses, taxis, .. etc) to cater for the

rising numbers in population, projects and urbanization,” said

Al Tayer.

“Dubai Government has pumped huge investments to uplift

the infrastructure of transportation sector and encourage the

public to use mass transit systems. Now there is a shift in the

culture of using public transport by all segments of the com-

munity. Statistics reveal that RTA public transport means,

including the Dubai Metro, public buses, water transport and

taxis, have lifted more than 288.777 million passengers in

2009 and the daily ridership of mass transit modes topped

842k passengers. This number is likely to grow with the open-

ing of the remaining stations on the Red Line. Dubai Metro is

expected to lift about 35 million passengers in 2010, and the

number of metro users is expected to pick up sharply with the

operation of the Green Line in August 2011 as this line serves

vital areas with commercial activities, government offices and

high population density,” added Al Tayer in a final remark.

For his part the Kenyan Ambassador praised the speed of

infrastructure projects delivery in the RTA as seen in the con-

struction of road projects, Dubai Metro, modernization of pub-

lic bus fleet and the integration of mass transit systems. He

particularly commended the Dubai Metro project with its mag-

nificent design, high quality finishing and excellent service to

passengers. He expressed the intention of Kenyan Govern-

ment to benefit from RTA expertise in modernizing mass tran-

sit systems, solving traffic jams in major Kenyan cities, and

developing transport infrastructure to contribute to the eco-

nomic growth by injecting more investments, enhancing trade

exchange and increasing the number of tourists.

7 Issue 27 - September 2010 . www.rta.ae

Al Tayer shares with Kenyan delegation RTAexpertise in easing traffic congestion

Mattar Al Tayer receiving the Kenyan Ambassador

Al Tayer expressed his delight with these statistics which

demonstrate that RTA plan to increase mass transport rid-

ership is moving on the right track, and also reflect a tran-

sition, though small, in the culture of the community

towards using mass transit systems. “People have started

to perceive the benefits and advantages of using of public

transport such as the psychological & physical comfort in

transit, and reduced fuel & vehicle maintenance costs

besides the contribution of using public transport to effec-

tively cutting road accident mortalities, and reducing car-

bon emissions from vehicle exhausts,” he stated.

“The number of metro users is steadily on the rise since

the launch of the service on 09 September 2009 with rid-

ership jumping from 1.8 million passengers in October

2009 to 3.3 million passengers in June 2010 recording in

the process an increase rate as high as 185 per cent. In

September 2009 the number of metro commuters clocked

1,196,920 passengers and the following month saw an

increase in the ridership to 1,767,879 passengers. Metro

ridership broke the two million passengers barrier in

December 2009 and the number kept rising to reach

3,193,087 passengers in May 2010 and touched a higher

point last June by clocking 3,262,912 passengers,” contin-

ued Al Tayer.

RTA Chairman of the Board & Executive Director further

added that the daily ridership of the Dubai Metro jumped

Numbers x Numbers


Dubai Metro ridership hits 23m passengers since Sept ’09: Al Tayer

130k passengers used the metro on July 1st

H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board & Executive Director of the

Roads & Transport Authority, revealed the Dubai Metro ridership broke

the barrier of 23 million passengers since the launch of the service on

09/09/09 up to the first of week of July 2010. Al Tayer also stated that the

daily ridership of the Metro has reached a new height on Thursday 01

July 2010 clocking 130,529 passengers.

from 54,683 passengers in

October 2009 to 116,340 pas-

sengers last June, recording

a 212 per cent rise. July 2010

recorded an all-time high fig-

ure in the daily metro rider-

ship as the first day of this

month (Thursday) clocked

130,529 passengers. This

sustained growth in the metro

ridership is attributed to the

vibrant nature of Dubai city;

which has become a summer

tourist destination, thanks to

the Dubai Summer Festival

and the promotional offers

made by hotels & malls, mak-

ing it a tourist attraction point.

Commenting on passenger

breakdown per stations Al

Tayer said: “Khalid bin Al

Waleed Station is the busiest

station as the number of com-

muters who used the station

since the start of the metro

operation reached 3,145,210

passengers, followed by Mall

of the Emirates Station

(3,059,069 passengers), Al

Ittihad Station (2,989,879 pas-

sengers), Deira City Center Station (2,102,484 passen-

gers), and Al Rashidiya Station (1,829,653 passengers).

“The number of commuters who used the ten new metro

stations of which seven have been opened by the end of

April and three opened on May 15, witnessed a healthy

growth of about two million passengers. Ibn Battuta Sta-

tion ranked first in the number of users clocking 466,554

passengers, followed by Al Karama Station (276,817 pas-

sengers), Dubai Marina Station (231,663 passengers),

Emirates Towers Station (211,262 passengers), Emirates

Airlines Station (150,670 passengers), Dubai Internet City

Station (149,549 passengers), Terminal 1 of Dubai

International Airport Station (116,000 passen-

gers), Noor Islamic Bank Station (114,581

passengers), Dubai World Trade Center

Station (98,805 passengers ), and

GGICO Station (93,058 passengers).

In its strategic plan; which is aligned

with the Dubai Strategic Plan (Infra-

structure Sector), RTA has set top pri-

ority to the integration of multi-modal

mass transit systems in the emirate;

including public buses, Dubai Metro and

marine transport modes spanning abra,

water bus and water taxi; which has recently

been inaugurated recently. Over the next phase, RTA will

seek to disseminate the culture of mass transit modes and

encourage community members to use them in their daily

travels.

“The huge investments pumped by the Government of

Dubai to uplift the infrastructure of transportation sector

has paid dividends and proved effective. The growth in the

number of mass transit mode users reflects a shift in the

culture of using public transport by all segments of the

community and the drive was particularly helped by the

metro service. RTA public transport means, including the

Dubai Metro, public buses, water transport and taxis, have

lifted more than 288.777 million passengers in

2009 and the daily ridership of mass transit

modes topped 842k passengers. This

number is likely to grow with the opening

of the remaining stations on the Red

Line. Dubai Metro is expected to lift

about 35 million passengers in 2010,

and the number of metro users is

expected to pick up sharply with the

operation of the Green Line in August

2011 as this line serves vital areas with

commercial activities, government

offices and high population density,” said Al

Tayer in a final remark.


185%growth in the

number of passengers fromOctober 09 to

June 10

Through its ‘Madinati’ scheme

launched to promote the principle of

community partnership, the Roads &

Transport Authority (RTA) managed

to raise the level of traffic safety of all

segments of the community under the

ultimate goal of preserving the integri-

ty of road users and public properties.

Engineer Maitha bin Udai, CEO of

RTA Traffic & Roads Agency, stated

that the percentage of signed-off

complaints received by the RTA from

the public relating to ‘Madinati’

scheme during the period from March

2009 to March 2010 was as high as

99.9% of the total complaints

received which clocked 12466 com-

plaints.

“Launching ‘Madinati’ scheme under-

lines RTA’s keen attention to commu-

nicate with the public, promote traffic

awareness among road users, and safeguard roads &

their furniture through adopting creative ideas to entice

the community members to take the initiative and report

any damage, violations or irresponsible practices that

might inflict losses to roads and road users,” said Maitha.

She added: “The ‘Madinati’ scheme basically aims at

stepping up the degree of traffic awareness and maintain-

ing the distinguished urban and aesthetic appearance of

the city of Dubai through involving the community mem-

bers & organizations in this distinctive scheme. Among

the key features of the ‘Madinati’ scheme are the imple-

mentation mechanism which envisages a community part-

nership between the RTA and the public to ensure the

safety of both the public and properties”.

Maitha continued: “The scheme urges members of the

public to up their self-discipline towards maintaining pub-

lic properties while using roads, and consider them as a

national wealth that ought to be protected and preserved

through reporting violations and losses inflicted to lives

and properties, as well as any defect, malfunction or unac-

ceptable practice and behavior which is incompatible with

the community norms and RTA vision & drive.

“RTA annually honours individuals who cooperate in deliv-

ering this civilized scheme in recognition of their distin-

guished efforts which contribute to the dissemination of

the scheme and encouragement of others to cooperate in

the promotion of this national value; which is both an indi-

vidual and a collective responsibility” commented the CEO

of Traffic & Roads Agency.

Maitha commended the efforts of those administering the

scheme at the Agency, noting that the irregularities and

abuses classified under the scheme have negative impact

on the environment, citing examples of spilled paint, oil or

asphalt on the road, damaged traffic light signal, damaged

street light or light pole, concrete dropped on the road,

damaged pedestrian fence, incorrect direction of the traf-

fic sign, traffic sign view blocked, traffic sign needs to be

cleaned, pavement pieces not repaired, damaged barriers

or metal poles, and other losses relating to the road in

general.

“Besides the reporting the damage to road and road furni-

ture, the scheme covers public transport services such as

reporting some malfunctions that affect the services pro-

vided by the RTA. It also addresses all types of irregular-

ities committed by some individuals, such as causing

damage to public properties which includes traffic signals,

safety fence, directional signage and other right of way fit-

tings provided by the RTA to serve the public and main-

tain the public safety,” said Maitha in a final remark.

Our Services


RTA to boost community partnership through ‘Madinati’ scheme

The scheme aims to safeguard publicsafety, public properties


The Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has signed a con-

tract with DHL, a giant global provider of postal services,

whereby the company will provide postal services includ-

ing parcels and documents through the post system

known as Packstations at the Dubai Metro stations, thus

making Dubai the first city in the region and second world-

wide, after Germany, to introduce this type of postal serv-

ices.

RTA will allocate spaces at the Dubai Metro Stations to

install DHL’s parcels and documents postal system initial-

ly at Khalid bin Al Waleed station and Deira City Center

station and the service is set to cover other metro stations

later on, according to Adnan Al Hamadi, CEO of RTA Rail

Agency.

“RTA has signed a one-year contract, renewable, with

DHL in June and the system will start tentative operation

in mid July such that these postal units will be fully opera-

tional next September. This service, which is the first of its

kind in the region, enables Dubai Metro commuters to

send and receive their parcels through the self-operated

machines fixed at the Dubai Metro stations,” added Al

Hamadi.

The CEO of Rail Agency continued: “This Agreement

comes in the context of RTA assiduous efforts to upgrade

its services, stimulate the economic sector in the Emirate,

and make the metro, which is one of the most successful

mass transit modes in the region, more attractive to the

residents and visitors of Dubai Emirate through providing

passengers with the services needed during their metro

travel. Moreover, this service reflects RTA attention to

build sound & sustained strategic partnership with the pri-

vate sector in the Emirate”.

These postal units, which will be functioning 24-hours a

day, are self-operated and the users are required to sign

up for the service free of charge to obtain e-cards enabling

them to benefit from the service. This sort of machines is

currently available in more than 300 German cities, where

DHL is deploying more 1500 postal units.

The Public Transport Agency, Roads & Transport Author-

ity (RTA) revealed that it will launch on July 1st a new bus

route in Dubai besides broadening and merging other

routes as well.

The new route was launched following elaborate studies

and extensive site surveys carried out by the Agency’s

work teams to assess the daily requirements of bus com-

muters in Dubai, according to Mohammed Abu Baker Al

Hashemi, Acting CEO of Public Transport Agency.

“The new line (X13) starts from Al Awir Bus Depot (A)

using standard buses and passes across several loca-

tions including Al Qusais Bus Station (3), Workers Accom-

modation (12 2) at Al Qusais, Metro Taxi Company, Deira

Fish Market, Sahara Center, Al Ghubaiba Bus Station (2),

Satwa Bus Station (2), Hamriya Port and other districts in

Dubai,” said Al Hashemi.

“Journey time will be improved on several routes, namely:

4, 7, 10, 13, 13A, 13B, 22, 27, 31, 42, 44, 47, 48, 61, 61D,

63E, 66, 67, 365, C14, C18C26, X23, F15, F25A and F46.

Operational hours on route 13B will be extended to

include Fridays with a 12 minutes frequency between

each service,” continued Al Hashemi.

He further added that the transit time on (F3, F4, F5, F10,

F11, F29, F30, F31, F33) routes would be improved, and

(E302) route would be merged with (E304) via Al Karama.

The new Route would be renamed as (E304) to pass

along the same areas covered by (E302), while Route

(11C) would be rerouted.

As of the same date, the service frequency on (F32A),

(F13) and (21) routes will be revised and routes (11M,

13X, X25) will be abolished, and Route (E302) used for

Inter-City service will also be abolished.

It is note-worthy that abolishing and merging of routes

comes in response to elaborate studies and extensive

field surveys including a number of key factors such as the

volume of demand for public bus service, and the

enhancement of the infrastructure comprising roads,

streets, bridges and tunnels with the aim of delivering top-

class service to all segments of the community.

Encl: Detailed maps about the new route and other diver-

sions

RTA signs contract with DHL to provide parcels & documents postal services at Dubai Metro stations

The service is open for use by organizations and individuals, aims to support economic activity

RTA launches a new bus route, improves transit

time and merges other routes as of July 1

Our Services


The Public Transport Agency (PTA) of the Roads & Trans-

port Authority (RTA) has recently completed the training of

commercial bus drivers who would be deploying on buses

commuting the employees of Emirates Group, and as per

the agreement concluded between the two parties, the

service was launched on in June.

According to Mansour Rahma Al Falasi, Director of PTA’s

Fleet Drivers Affairs, the Agency, in coordination with

PTA’s Bus Dep’t, Business Development Dep’t, and Main-

tenance & Services Dep’t as well as Contracts & Purchas-

ing Dep’t of RTA Corporate Administrative Support Ser-

vices Sector, has completed this intensive training course

to ensure optimum qualification of commercial bus drivers

to groom them for delivering top-class services to the

employees of Emirates Group and act as RTA ambassa-

dors to other departments and agencies in Dubai Emirate.

“The training course included 10 sessions; namely: cus-

tomer service, principles of Transport Ambassador Pro-

gram, communication through Transport Ambassador Pro-

gram, fire fighting, passenger evacuation in the event of

fire, defensive driving, safe driving, smart appearance,

navigator system, familiarizing with the use of the ingress

and egress of Emirates Group’s Main Building, and tech-

nical training,” said Al Falasi.

The course, which lasted 16 days; comprising 13 days of

practical training and 3 days of theoretical training in a

total of 154 training hours, witnessed the participation of

192 drivers who received training from 10 instructors, 2

training officers, and 2 training specialists.

It is noteworthy that PTA has signed in last May an agree-

ment to hire a number of buses to commute 15,000

employees of Emirates Group between the residences

and workplaces at the Dubai International Airport, Head

Office of the Group and other locations affiliated to the

Group in Dubai over 109 routes, in a contract valid for 3

years amounting to 100 million dirham.

RTA develops advanced training program for obtaining motorbike driving license

The policy aims at enhancing the safety of vehicles &

drivers, offering services at world-class standards

Represented in the Licensing Agency, the Roads &

Transport Authority (RTA) has developed a new pol-

icy for those intending to obtain motorbike driving

licenses, whereby the trainee has to complete five

key stages during the training, qualification and test-

ing process, in keeping with RTA strategy to provide

safety to all road users in the Dubai Emirate.

Commenting on the new system, the Director of Dri-

vers Licensing Sultan Al Marzooki said: “The new

system for training & testing motorbike drivers,

which is currently being run in coordination with all

driving institutes in the Emirate, is superior to the

previous system as more attention is being paid

towards ensuring the availability of all safety & secu-

rity items during training & testing operation such

that driving license applicants are now obliged to put

on helmets, gloves, shoes and long-sleeve shirts

during driving. The previous internal test, comprising

a test on the shape of the figure (8), has been

changed in the new system to two internal tests”.

“Licensing Agency is always seeking to provide cus-

tomers applying for training or driving tests with the

best services at world-class standards as the

Agency fully appreciates the need to provide the

best means of protecting motorbike drivers, as they

are among the category of the most risk-prone driv-

ers on roads,” said Al Marzooki.

“The underlying objective of these new training poli-

cies is to assist motorbike drivers in gaining high

driving skills and ensuring advanced training & test-

ing standards with a view to ensuring safety for

themselves as well as road users” added Al Marzoo-

ki.

This new policy of training & testing those interested

in obtaining motorbike driving licenses has been

developed to include five stages. The first stage is to

provide Motorbike Booklet; a manual for safe driving

written in three languages; Arabic, English and Urdu.

The second stage of training includes the basics of

motorbike driving skills which grow in the applicant

the potentials of controlling & moving the motorbike

and how to use the gear. The third stage focuses on

developing applicant’s driving skills such that the

trainee can clear the first internal test.

Stage four of the training focuses on learning

advanced driving skills to assist in avoiding acci-

dents. This stage helps the trainee pass the second

internal test. The fifth and last stage helps the

trainee apply skills gained in previous internal stages

on road driving, which will help the trainee in pass-

ing the external road test.

Public Transport Agency completes training ofdrivers deployed on Emirates Airline Buses


Dubai Taxi kicks off a series of lectures on customer service excellence

The step is set to pave the way for excellent customer services

The Fleet Drivers Affairs Dep’t of Dubai Taxi Corporation

(DTC), Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has set off a

series of introductory lectures & practical training ses-

sions on the “Seven Main Steps of Customer Service

Excellence” with the aim of upgrading the level of servic-

es rendered by the DTC to the inhabitants and visitors of

Dubai Emirate, delivering better customer services, and

realizing RTA objectives & strategies of providing Safe &

Smooth Transport for All.

The lectures, which were organized by Drivers Training &

Qualification Center, were attended by the CEO of the

DTC Abdul Aziz Malik, who recommended cabdrivers to

deliver classy services to customers, highlighted the

importance of courteous greeting & thanking of cus-

tomers, and stressed the need to remind customers not to

forget their personal belongings at the end of each jour-

ney.

The Director of DTC Fleet Drivers Affairs Ammar bin

Tamim said: “The series of induction lectures included an

elaborate explanation of the Seven Main Steps of Cus-

tomer Service Excellence, and were delivered in Arabic,

English and Urdu to ensure effective communication with

drivers hailing from various nationalities. Such lectures

were supported with media kits, publications and practical

training sessions covering several strategies such as cus-

tomer welcoming strategies, inquiring after the intended

destination, reconfirming the destination from the cus-

tomer, if needed, stopping at a safe drop off point, keep-

ing quiet & attentive, avoiding over-speeding, refunding

the change, thanking the customer, and ensuring that per-

sonal belongings are not forgotten at the end of each jour-

ney”.

“Customer service is a key driver of the DTC and it had

been subject of a significant improvement, thanks to the

arrangements in place such as enhancing the cultural

knowledge of drivers through educating them on how to

deal with customers, and improve on board services

through keeping cabs clean & scented and drivers well

turned out. The DTC has also expanded the fleet to meet

the rising number of passengers, intensified the mystery

rider campaigns, activated airport station, opened the Air-

port office at Terminal 3, and increased the number of

vehicles deployed at Terminal 2 to 347 taxicabs providing

24-hour service. DTC is aspiring to raise customer satis-

faction rating to more than 75% through adopting top-

quality standards, upgrading customer services and deliv-

ering them in the best style to citizens, residents, tourists

and visitors of Dubai city,” added bin Tamim.

The Director of DTC Fleet Drivers Affairs stressed that the

RTA and DTC were keen on qualifying cabdrivers com-

prehensively to deliver quality services to the public and

passengers, and commit more efforts to deliver their jobs

in an excellent manner such that they can contribute to

the success and advancement of the RTA in general and

DTC in particular, and raise the bar on taxi services in a

way befitting the global standing of Dubai Emirate,” said

bin Tamim in a final remark.

Cover Story


Train 5757 school bus drivers,845 bus attendantsThe number of new bus

drivers who have been

issued with “School

Bus Driving Permits”,

following completion of

training at Bus Fleet

Drivers Affairs Depart-

ment, Public Transport

Agency of Roads &

Transport Authority

(RTA) since the intro-

duction of the School

Transport Law in 2008

up to now, has

reached 4317 drivers, whereas the number of

school bus drivers whose their school bus driving

permits have been renewed clocked 1440 drivers,

thus raising the total number of drivers issued with

school bus driving permits to 5757 drivers.

A statement to this effect was announced by Man-

sour Rahma Al Falasi, Director of Bus Fleet Drivers

Affairs, Public Transport Agency, who added:

“Training sessions are held for drivers before being

issued with school bus driving permits as per the

plan set in this regard by the Agency with

the aim of qualifying them

in the best possible

way for driving school

buses and empower-

ing them to deliver this

service at world-class

standards”.

“The Agency subjects

school bus drivers, after

completing the documenta-

tion required by RTA Licens-

ing Agency, to modern train-

ing modules and methods aligned with the require-

ments of school transport in Dubai in collaboration

with an internationally renowned institute special-

ized in this field. These free courses are delivered in

three languages, namely: Arabic, English and Urdu.

“The training program of school bus drivers aims at

familiarizing drivers with their responsibilities

towards students and road users, the basic princi-

ples of driving school buses, safe rules of boarding

& alighting from the school bus,

and the risks associated with the

areas in which schools are locat-

ed resulting from the movement

of buses and students in the

same place and time. The

course also discusses the avail-

ability of school buses at haz-

ardous spots and their impact on

the driver’s visibility by explain-

ing the precise definition of the

traffic accident and how to avoid

it, the impact of the weather fluc-

tuations on the safety of school

bus driving, the safe & optimum

organization of the school bus

journey time, the codes of con-

duct during emergency cases,

the optimal approach for dealing

with the conduct of students on

board the school bus, the basic principles of First

Aid (such as dealing with burns, wounds, fractures

and others), and the responsibilities of the school

bus driver towards the students.

“These training sessions also aim at fostering the

awareness of school bus drivers, highlight the

importance of traffic safety & safe driving,

and improve drivers’ recognition of the

surrounding negative impacts resulting

from the adverse effects of reckless

driving and disrespect of driving and

traffic rules as well as the codes of secu-

rity and safety. The courses emphasize

the importance of taking precautions

and appropriate measures during driv-

ing, abiding by the best driving prac-

tices, and paying all attention to deliver-

ing safe and smooth transport to stu-

dents,” commented Al Falasi.

The Director of Bus Fleet Drivers Affairs

concluded to say: “Public Transport

Agency is always endeavouring to

organize several programs and work-

shops that aim at raising the traffic

awareness and perpetuating the con-

cept of public safety among all school

buses drivers in the emirate of Dubai.”

Bus Fleet Drivers Affairs Department

has also finalized the training of 845

school bus attendants since January

this year up to now.

It is note-worthy that a team of Public

Transport Agency, comprising Essa

Abdul Rahman Al Dosari and several

Directors, Managers and employees,

has recently visited Dubai Modern Education

School, Murdiff where it conferred with the school

management. During the meeting the delegation

attended to several comments and thoughts relating

to the improvement of school transport, which is

supervised by Public Transport Agency, for all pub-

lic & private schools in Dubai Emirate.


Community Saeety


The Roads & Transport Authority

(RTA) called on motorists to

appreciate the vital importance of

continually checking vehicle tires

to ensure their validity and

soundness, particularly for those

who travel long distance by road.

Engineer Maitha bin Udai, CEO

of RTA Traffic Agency, cautioned

drivers not be lenient on check-

ing tires, and replacing the defec-

tive ones before traveling or buy-

ing used tires. She pointed out

that tire-relates accidents were

usually fatal as they might lead to

violent vehicle overturn, particu-

larly when coupled with excessive

speed where the driver tended to

lose control over the vehicle.

“Statistics of the first four months

of this year 2010 show a drop in the number of fatal-

ities resulting from traffic accidents triggered by tire

explosion, where 6 tire explosion-related accidents

took place leading to 3 mortalities compared to 9

accidents reported in 2009 resulting in 5 mortalities.

2008 witnessed the highest rate of tire explosion

causing fatal crashes with 27 accidents reported.

June, July and August, which recorded the highest

rates of passenger travels, topped the year with 12

accidents reported resulting in two fatalities, where-

as the remaining months of the year saw 15 acci-

dents resulting in 3 fatalities,” stated Maitha.

She added: “Tires command the attention of high-

way security and safety experts as they are one of

the key factors responsible for serious overturning

accidents. Tires are the sole contact point between

the vehicle and the road. It follows that any variation

in the tire specifications, though small, might claim

the live of the driver and passengers in case of a

crash triggered by a tire explosion”.

Maitha called on motorists to comply with the spec-

ifications and measurements of tires as specified by

the vehicle’s manufacturer. “Drivers have to ensure

that tires are of top quality and most safe brand, ver-

ify the manufacturing date and ensure that the

measurements of the four tires are symmetrical,

ensure that the spare tire is sound

and inflated with the proper air-

pressure, and avoid buying second

hand tires even though seemingly

in a good condition.

“The driver has to have some

knowledge about the symbols

printed on both sides of the tire

such that he or she can select the

suitable tire for the vehicle. These

symbols include the date of tire

manufacturing; which consists of

four digits preceded by (DOT)

where the first two digits to the right

refer the manufacturing year, and

the third & fourth digits refer to the

week in which the tire was manufac-

tured in that year. For instance if the

number was 2109, it means that the

tire was manufactured in the 21st

week of 2009.

“The driver can identify the appropriate tire pressure

from the number shown beside the term (MAX

PRESS); which sets the highest tire pressure level,

or through the letter beside the word (Temperature)

refers to the heat resistance of the tire; which must

be (A) to fit with the prevailing high temperature

rates in the UAE climate. Drivers have also got to

appreciate the gravity on excess load on the vehicle

as well as on tires in particular,” added Maitha.

It is note-worthy that since the beginning of June this

year, RTA launched “Land Travel Campaign” in

coordination with the Ministry of Interior; which is

sponsoring “Your vehicle’s safety is integral to your

safety” campaign and runs for three months. Land

travel campaign, which is run by Traffic Awareness

Section, covers several events such as distribution

of the 158 pages land travel booklet which contains

guidelines and information related to the vehicle’s

safety and requirements of long distance trips. The

book is distributed in many locations targeted by the

campaign, such as RTA Licensing Agency, Automo-

bile and Touring Club of the UAE, the Saudi Con-

sulate in Dubai, RTA Customer Service Centers,

Jebel Ali Police Station, and Al Ghuwaifat Boarder

Crossing point.

RTA cautions against tire-related accidents, invites drivers to check tire safety

Accidents triggered by tire explosion cause3 fatalities in the first 4 months of 2010

Maitha bin Udai


Dubai (United Arab Emirates): The Dubai Taxi

Corporation (DTC) of Roads & Transport

Authority (RTA), in cooperation with Al Dobowi

Tires Company, has recently launched “Safe

Driving Road Safety Campaign” initiative tar-

geting all DTC cabdrivers. The initiative, which

was unleashed at the Drivers & Training &

Qualification Center, aims at highlighting the

importance of vehicle safety through maintain-

ing tries safety as a measure to safeguard

against road risks and surprises.

“In coordination with Al Dobowi Tires Co., DTC

is rolling on this initiative through a series of

educative lectures on safety in general and

vehicle & tire safety in particular. Al Dobowi is

a key supplier of tires to the DTC as per the con-

tract concluded last month for the supply of Korean

made Hankook tires compatible with the GCC spec-

ifications to the DTC for a period of two years,” said

Ammar bin Tamim, Director of DTC’s Fleet Drivers

Affairs.

“This initiative aims at introducing the concept of

safety on roads, raising the awareness of drivers

towards safe maintenance of their vehicle tires all

times through regular checks and inspection of air

pressure. Tires have a considerable impact on

reducing accidents and curbing frequent operational

problems to cabs of the DTC fleet which comprise

3504 vehicles operated by more than 7500 drivers

24 hours a day through shifts system,” he continued.

Ammar highlighted the crucial role played by tires in

maintaining the vehicle’s safety in general and the

driver & passengers’ safety in particular, and

stressed the need to select proper tires and attend

to their regular maintenance. “The DTC seeks to

apply all safety & security features to its services

and vehicles so as to achieve the best results and

contribute to the realization of the vision of the RTA

and DTC of providing Safe & Smooth Transport for

All,” he continued.

“During these courses live demonstrations were

made for sound and defective tires where drivers

have been shown physical models of these tires

such that they will closely see and grasp how to

apply their acquired knowledge during their daily

works as cabdrivers. Such campaigns & training

courses need to be continued as the DTC is keen on

qualifying and grooming drivers fully for their jobs

considering them as ambassadors of the RTA and a

true image depicting clearly the approach of the

DTC and RTA as well,” added bin Tamim.

The Director of DTC’s Fleet Drivers Affairs said: “All

new and old drivers have been subjected to various,

intensive and specialized training courses based on

top class global standards with a view to improving

their performance and the level of services rendered

to passengers and customers spanning all spec-

trums of the community. DTC will hold a number of

educative programs and practical demonstration

sessions about the best traffic safety practices dur-

ing driving so as to enhance the safety of drivers,

passengers and road users at large. The courses,

which will be run in three languages (Arabic, English

& Urdu) are held in conjunction with several special-

ized bodies including Dubai Police, Traffic Depart-

ment of RTA Traffic & Roads Agency, and Fran-

chise & Enforcement Department of RTA public

Transport Agency,” said bin Tamim in a closing

remark.

Dubai Taxi kicks off “Safe Driving” initiativein coop with Al Dobowi Tires Co.

Community Saeety


The Roads & Transport Authority

(RTA) has launched Safety Awards

to be given annually to consultants,

contractors and other entities related

to RTA projects in a bid to ensure its

partners adopt the best safety prac-

tices.

Comprising four categories, the

Safety Award 2010 will recognize the

Best Safety Consultant, the Best

Safety Contractor, the Best Govern-

ment Strategic Partner and the Best

Health, Safety and Environmental

performance by an Agency or Sector.

As part of its strategy and commit-

ment to safety, RTA has set a number of judging cri-

teria for consultants and contractors before entering

the 2010 Safety Award. The criteria examine safety

systems of those entities to ensure safety is applied

in all operations of the organization. According to

the criteria, the systems should include regular man-

agement of safety, ongoing planning of safety

improvement, strategy to identify, assess and con-

trol hazards, integrated approach of safety in con-

sultation with workplace parties and improvement in

safety at the workplaces.

The four safety awards stemmed from RTA's Chair-

man of the Board & Executive Director, H.E. Mattar

Al Tayer's initiative which envisages RTA's strategy

on “Safe and Smooth Transport for all.” These

awards are designed and developed to encourage

RTA's partners to adopt the best safety practices

and ensure occupational safety at RTA workplace.

To ensure implementation of safety standards set by

the RTA, a Higher Committee of the Award was

established and headed by Amair Saleem, Director

of Safety Regulation & Planning under RTA's Strat-

egy and Corporate Governance Sector.

Abdul Mohsin Ibrahim Younes, CEO of Strategy and

Corporate Governance Sector said: “These Awards

aim at raising safety awareness amongst the individ-

uals and various organizations and encouraging

them to play a proactive and constructive role in

supporting RTA to enhance Safety at construction

sites as well as at workplaces.”

Younes said that the safety awards also aim at rein-

forcing the leading role of RTA in fostering the part-

nership and cooperation across all

organizations, set the concept and

practices of safe design, construc-

tion and operation high on the

agenda of local organizations and

general media, and increase the

ownership of safety and social

responsibilities at all social levels,

particularly with other stakehold-

ers.

He added that RTA assigns utmost

priority to occupational safety in all

projects and activities undertaken.

All RTA's operational agencies

have exclusive departments or sec-

tions for Quality, Health, Safety and Environment

directly concerned with auditing procedures in place

to ensure safety, security and environment conser-

vation at all work sites inside and outside RTA.

"Compliance with the standards of occupational

health & safety system while executing projects is

one of the RTA's main strategies. All projects under-

taken by RTA are designed and implemented at the

highest safety standards, and are subjected to a

thorough assessment at all stages to ensure that the

construction operations are in line with the interna-

tional standards related to projects occupational

safety," said Younes.

As part of an on going strategy, all RTA's projects

are subject to safety assessment and audit span-

ning contractors and consultants. Following the

operation process, all facilities are subject to period-

ical technical inspection and audit by RTA's Mainte-

nance & Operation Departments. They are also sub-

ject to independent assessment by Safety, Risk and

Regulation & Planning Dep’t of the Strategy & Cor-

porate Governance Sector. This Dep’t conducts sur-

prise & scheduled visits to construction sites and

projects and submits reports directly to H.E. Chair-

man of the Board and Executive Director of the

RTA. Amair Saleem Director of Safety Regulation &

Planning added that the safety process adopted by

RTA is very much a modern risk based that is

focused on prediction and prevention i.e. to system-

atically assess and identify the risks during design in

order to eliminate or control during construction /

operation.

RTA launches Four Safety Awards to Recognize its Best Consul-

tants, Contractors and other entities related to RTA projects

Abdul Mohsin Ibrahim Younes


RTA Community

The Licensing Agency, The Roads & Transport Authority (RTA),

views its vendors as strategic partners and therefore heeds to

their views and suggestions in matters related to rolling out new

services or upgrading the existing ones in keeping with customer

needs and expectations, said Ahmed Hashim Bahrozyan, CEO of

RTA Licensing Agency, in a statement made in the gathering

recently held at the new premises of the RTA, Al Garhoud with its

suppliers spanning several service and business sectors with the

aim of broadening the scope of joint cooperation, furthering bilat-

eral relations, and opening new communication channels

between the two parties.

“I offer you my sincere thanks and appreciation for standing ready

to lend support to RTA efforts in sorting out solutions and devel-

oping programs capable of bolstering public transport network in

Dubai Emirate and boosting the integration of this key sector

through offering a number of strategic initiatives which we all

hope to succeed in realizing their objectives and adding to the

impressive record of achievements of Dubai in all fields, even

under the grueling economic conditions currently engulfing the

whole universe,” said Bahrozyan.

He continued: “Such gatherings offer splendid opportunities to

confer with vendors, and at the same time are considered a great

opportunity for vendors themselves to meet and socialize.

Besides that they prompt us to act in a team spirit in diagnosing

business obstacles, review the difficulties encountered & how to

overcome them, boost the existing strategic partnerships, and

seek to achieve our joint objectives in a satisfactory manner to all

parties”.

Bahrozyan praised the deeply rooted bilateral relations linking

Licensing Agency with its strategic stakeholders and commend-

ed the importance of these bonds in broadening the range of

services offered by the Agency to its customers across Dubai in

keeping with the reputed stature of Dubai as a premier econom-

ic hub in the region and a point of attraction to investors and busi-

ness leaders from the world over.

For their part the vendors hailed the continued efforts of the

Licensing Agency and praised the facilities offered to suppliers at

various centers. The attendants made some comments on issues

related to the business conduct between the two parties and how

to improve and upgrade these issues.

The gathering was attended from the RTA by Abdullah Al

Madani, CEO of RTA Corporate Support Services Sector;

Hashim Al Hashemi, Acting Director of Contracts & Purchasing;

and Salah Al Naqi, Manager of Vendors Section, Contracts &

Purchasing Dep’t; in addition to several RTA officials.

In the context of its ‘Read More’ initiative, the Roads & Transport

Authority (RTA) has recently honoured the children who won the

‘Traffic Safety’ contest in an event held by Marketing & Corporate

Communication Department at RTA new premises, Umm Al

Ramool, where engineer Maitha bin Udai, CEO of RTA Traffic &

Roads Agency, distributed the prizes and appreciation certifi-

cates to the winners who submitted the best drawings.

Engineer Maitha stated that 17 artistic drawings had been select-

ed from 703 drawings submitted in the contest which was

launched at Al Mawakeb School. The winning drawings had been

selected on the basis of meaningful artistic standards and impli-

cations, and the extent of valuable informational traffic safety

content.

“The Award has been tailored to suit the age bracket of students

taking part in the contest. Prizes given included entry tickets to

Kidzania of Dubai Mall, purchase vouchers of 300 dirhams

offered by Al Majroodi Library, and 20 children pictorial book

series,” said Maitha.

“RTA opted to target students segment as it is a rich ground for

cultivating the best results. They are the future generation who

badly need such initiatives which inspire them to open new hori-

zons and become creative besides honing their skills and direct-

ing their potentials to generate excellent ideas. RTA is therefore

keen on educating them and knocking their doors at their schools

with a view to encouraging them to read, develop research abili-

ties & innovative thinking, and enhance communications with oth-

ers through establishing new partnerships and cooperation for a

better future to this human wealth.

Licensing Agency meets vendors, heedsto feedbacks on licensing services

RTA honours the winners of Traffic Safety Contest

Maitha: ‘Read More’ initiative knocks thedoors of future generations

Abdullah Al Jawi, Director of Internal Audit, Roads &

Transport Authority (RTA), stated that internal audit was

no longer viewed as an inspection and monitoring tool as

was the case before, but rather a transparent and smooth

process that contributes to improvement and enhance-

ment of performance and business procedures. It is also

considered as the “other eye” that helps agencies and

departments identify the potentials of improvement, chal-

lenges and risks associated with the drive to upgrade per-

formance and services.

“Our work in Internal Audit Department, Office of H.E. the

Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA,

is aligned with RTA vision in adopting a neutral & distinc-

tive approach to improve and upgrade the performance

and accordingly contribute to realizing the vision of provid-

ing safe & smooth transport for all,” said Al Jawi.

“From inception, RTA Internal Audit Department experi-

enced several milestones within its ongoing evolution to

keep pace with the development drive spanning all RTA

agencies, be it in handling expensive projects or strategic

initiatives of broadening and upgrading infrastructure of

roads, streets, tunnels and bridges with the aim of boost-

ing the integration of public transport modes; a key ingre-

dient of supporting the economic growth and prosperity,”

he continued.

The Director of Internal Audit further stated: “RTA stands

ready to lend all sorts of possible support to the Internal

Audit Office of Zayed Housing Program towards improving

its work mechanism and keeping it in line with the best

practices and strategic initiatives; which involve using

modern technologies and programs applied globally in this

industry.

The two members of the visiting delegation from Zayed

Housing Program expressed delight with this meeting and

thanked RTA Internal Audit Dep’t for caring to share its

successful experiment in this field. They also praised RTA

efforts in leveraging the profile of Dubai and contributing

to building the future of the UAE in general and Dubai

Emirate in particular.

The visiting delegation included Noora Salih Al Suwaidi,

Director of Internal Audit Office, and Abdul Khaliq Suroor,

Senior Auditor of Zayed Housing Program. The meeting

was attended from the RTA, in addition to Abdullah Al

Jawi, by Abdullah Al Bura’ee, Deputy Director of Internal

Audit, Manager of Corporate Support and Operations

Audit; Dr. Ashraf Mujahid, Advisor of Internal Audit; Aysha

Al Sulaiti, Manager of Governance Audit; Ali Kashwani,

Manager of IT Audit, and several employees of the

Department.

The meeting included a visual presentation about the evo-

lution of the RTA and an elaborate explanation depicting

the establishing of RTA Internal Audit Department along

with its business processes.

RTA Community


RTA shares internal audit practices witha delegation of Zayed Housing Program

mattar al tayer...roads and transport authority dubai chairman of board andexecutive director mattar...

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