Dubai: Dubai Municipality is pushing for a law to make it mandatory for private companies to use its digital address and navigation system Makani, a senior official said on Wednesday.
Abdul Hakim Malek, director of the Geographic Informatin System (GIS) Department,said a proposal in this regard has been submitted to the Smart Dubai Office of the Dubai Executive Council.
“We want a regulation or law which pushes the private sector to support this new system because everyone should contribute to achieve our [Smart Dubai] goals...not only the government sector,” he told Gulf News after the municipality signed an agreement with etisalat to use Makani in the telecom company’s GIS mapping system.
“The private sector has a role and responsibility. They have to support us in implementing the smart system which we have created for the benefit of the public and companies as well.”
While prominent shipping companies have given a cold shoulder to the municipality’s invitation to enter into an agreement for using Makani, the majority of the 10 major restaurant chains that already made an agreement are still not using the system. The fast food restaurants have cited additional expenses for providing smartphones and data package for delivery men as the reason, said Malek.
“It’s really upsetting that private companies, especially service providers like shipping companies and restaurants, are not using the Makani service...We will give them a chance for some more time and after that we will go to higher authorities to push them to implement Makani,” he said.
Unlike other navigation systems, Malek noted that Makani uses 10 digit geo-coordinates that give the location to all entrances of buildings and public places with a one metre accuracy. ”The traditional addressing does not cover free zones. Some streets in free zones don’t have names and some authorities are using their own navigation system. Makani is universal for Dubai. So, it covers each building entrance and streets, even in free zones.”
Almost 70,000 out of 130,000 Makani plates have been installed in Dubai buildings and public places.
The remaining ones will be fixed by the first quarter of 2017.
Dubai Taxi
Taxi users in Dubai are soon expected to find locations faster as the Roads and Transport Authority will now use the Makani system in Dubai taxis. The authority is currently incorporating Makani into its navigation system.
By the end of this month, Malek said the RTA taxi despatch centre will start guiding cabs with Makani. ”In October, taxi drivers themselves will start using the Makani numbers. You just have to give the Makani number of your destination to them,” said Malek.
Dubai Police, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) and the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (Rera) were the first government entities to use Makani.
“After we finish fixing the plates, Rera will make it compulsory for real estate companies to use Makani. Then the companies will have to provide their Makani numbers to the Economic Department,” Malek said.
Dubai Ambulance and Civil Defence are also yet to modify their systems to use Makani. Malek said these departments will also be pushed to start using Makani soon.
Earlier, Hussain Nasser Lootah, director-general of Dubai Municipality, and Abdullah Salem Al Mana, director-general of etisalat, Dubai branch, signed a Memorandum of Understanding through which the municipality will provide etisalat all the requirements for the use of the Makani app. Al Mana said etisalat will apply Makani in its address system in Dubai and other emirates which use the Makani system such as Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah.
The telecom major will provide a box for adding Makani plate numbers of its customers’ addresses in application forms.
“Customers can give their Makani numbers so that our staff can locate them easily for providing services at their homes or offices. Customers can also use our Makani numbers to locate our offices,” said Al Mana.
HOW TO FIND YOUR MAKANI COORDINATES
Download the Makani app
Users can type the name of the building or location in the search bar and click on the desired result
Or residents can zoom in on the map, clicking on the building or location
