Dubai set to become a '20-minute city'

Dubai: The Higher Committee for Strategic Planning and Corporate Transformation at Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) chaired by Mattar Al Tayer, Director General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA, endorsed an updated RTA’s Strategic Plan 2024-2030.

The Strategic Plan 2024-2030 is centred around achieving five key goals and objectives pertinent to integrated and innovative mobility. The plan is designed to facilitate the development of roads and transport systems that support a 20-minute city - to ensure 80 per cent of daily services are accessible within a 20-minute journey by walking or cycling. It focuses on improving accessibility, fostering better integration of multi-modal transport, expanding current and future mobility services, and charting smart mobility solutions.

Dubai Urban Plan

The plan is aligned with Dubai Urban Plan 2040 aiming to make Dubai the world’s best city for living, Dubai Plan 2030, Dubai Government Directives, and the UAE Government Vision, “We the UAE 2031”.

“RTA had developed this strategic plan in response to the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai, and Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of the Executive Council. It focuses on envisioning the future and undertaking strategic projects to promote the economy, wellbeing and happiness of Dubai’s residents and visitors. 

It aims to stay abreast of global and future trends in roads and transport and reinforce RTA’s endeavours to become a global leader in delivering pioneering services to diverse community segments,” said Al Tayer.

“RTA’s future entails studying and deploying integrated and soft mobility solutions along with connected and real-time mobility systems, and self-driving transport. RTA intends operating self-driving Chevrolet Bolt autonomous electric vehicles, positioning Dubai as the first city in the world to operate American Cruise self-driving vehicles outside USA,” he added.

Under the Future Proof Organisation Goal, the plan accentuates the importance of attracting, retaining, and developing talents that meet future demands. It calls for establishing an effective partnership structure and boosting capabilities in R&D, and innovation, transforming into a leading data-based entity, along with developing a flexible technological infrastructure.

In line with the wise leadership’s commitment to fostering sustainability across all sectors and designating 2023 as the Year of Sustainability, along with the UAE hosting the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), RTA’s strategic plan centred on sustainability through speeding up the shift towards zero-emission transportation means.

Zero emissions

RTA has rolled out its ‘Zero-Emissions Public Transportation in Dubai 2050’ strategy, which makes it the first Middle Eastern entity to develop a long-term strategy for migrating towards Net-Zero Emission Public Transport. RTA seeks to convert 100% of taxis and limousines in the emirate to electric and hydrogen vehicles by 2040 and convert the entire fleet of public transport buses into electric and hydrogen buses by 2050. The plan has set a target to push transportation on sustainable means to as much as 42.5 per cent in 2030.

The goals and objectives of the plan in the field of Health, Safety, and Security include promoting transportation safety, securing assets, corporate security, and enhancing occupational health. In terms of Customer Happiness, the plan called for the development of capabilities to understand customer needs and trends, proactively create tailored innovative services, and guide and motivate customer behaviour to achieve the intended benefits of transportation networks.