Focus on developing public transport

International transport experts and representatives of major transportation companies from around the world will meet here next month to discuss the "Future of Public Transport in Middle East and North Africa".

The workshop would play a major role in developing public transport in Dubai.

Organised by the Dubai Municipality, the workshop will be held under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, UAE Minister of Finance and Industry and Chairman of Dubai Municipality.

Obeid Salem Al Shamsi, Assis-tant Director General for Admini-strative and General Services Affairs, said the workshop will be held from January 13-15, at the Al Bustan Rotana Hotel.

Al Shamsi, addressing a press conference yesterday at the municipality, said the workshop is being organised in collaboration with the Belgium-based Inter-national Association of Public Transport (UITP).

Founded in 1885, the UITP is the worldwide association of urban and regional passenger transport operators, their authorities and suppliers.

"Dubai could benefit from the local and international expertise of the participants in addition to the discussions on the experiences of the participating nations and also of the activities of the UITP," Al Shamsi said.

The workshop themes include Dubai Public Transport, UITP activities, Dubai Metro Rail Proj-ect, Quality in Public Transport, Human Resource Development, Automated Fare Collection, Customer Satisfaction in Public Transport, Geographic Infor-mation Systems, Vision of Public Transport in Middle East and North Africa for 2003 and Beyond, in addition to presentations from UITP members.

Al Shamsi said the workshop is aimed at bringing together UITP members and other key public transport players from the region to Dubai. Participants will identify future needs and priorities for developing high quality public transport, and highlight the opportunities for adopting various advanced technologies in order to improve the function.

Participants include Dubai Municipality, Abu Dhabi Munici-pality, Al Ain Municipality, Sharjah Municipality, Planning and Survey-ing Department, Sharjah, Emirates Transport, Dubai Transport, National Taxi, Metro Taxi, Cars Taxi, Dubai Police, Department of Tourism and Commerce Market-ing, Dubai University College, Higher Colleges of Technology, American University, Dubai, American University, Sharjah, and Sharjah University.

The international participants include Public Transport, Bah-rain; Internal Transport Comp-any, Syria; Transport Depart-ment, Lebanon; General Trans-port Company, Kuwait; Asian Transport Company, Jordan; Transport Ministry, Saudi Arabia; Saudi Mass Transport Company; Transport and Cargo Company, Kuwait; Oman National Trans-port Company; Almania Railways Transport
Consultants, Egypt; Tehran Urban and Transport Authority and Civil Railways, Iran; Turkish Transport Ministry; African Car Manufacturing Company, Moro-cco; and Transport Ministry, Tunis.

There will also be delegates from the U.S., Canada, Ireland, Belgium, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Syria, Iran, Palestine, Kuwait, Singapore, Tunis, Turkey, Oman, Qatar, Lebanon, Bahrain, Libya and Morocco.

The press conference was attended also by Abdul Azeez Malik, Director of Public Transport Department, Ahmed Rafeeu of Dubai Technology Company, and Dr Omar Qassim of Gargash Enterprises, who are the sponsors of the workshop.