Dubai: A pilot project eco-friendly public transport buses was launched on Wednesday.
His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, also launched a series of projects, including an extended railway plan until 2030, a car pooling project, a pedestrian bridges project and bicycle racecourse.
The Vice-President, on his visit to the headquarters of the Roads and Transport Authority also inaugurated the Middle East and North Africa Transportation Excellence Centre.
The Centre is a result of the fruitful partnership between RTA and the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) established following the success of the UITP International Conference held in Dubai in 2011.
The centre aims to enhance public transportation strategies in MENA, and provide specialised training in best practices in the field of public transport, and bolster cooperation between the region and world.
Continuing its push for eco-friendly transport, a bus running on bio-diesel will be piloted for six months and, depending on its performance, more such buses will be introduced into the fleet.
Apart from a bio-diesel engine, the buses will be equipped with solar-powered LED lighting system and will also run on recycled tyres.
“At RTA we are always looking for innovative green modes of transport and the buses that we use for public transport are very eco-friendly. Our buses are 10 times less polluting but with the introduction of bio-diesel it will further improve,” said Eisa Abdurrahman Al Dosari, CEO of RTA’s Public Transport Agency.
He added that the buses, which are 78 per cent less polluting than a conventional bus, aim to encourage public and private sector companies to invest in environmentally friendly means of transportation.
Another interesting project among the several initiatives that Shaikh Mohammad approved is the dedicated 55-km-long lane for car poolers on Shaikh Zayed Road.
Shaikh Mohammad gave the green light to the initiative, which he said will help reduce traffic jams and increase the availability of car parking at employees’ workplaces, as well as decrease the cost of transportation and reduce emissions.
He also approved the Dubai Railway Network up to 2030, which includes railway networks of projects planned to be executed in 2020, 2025, and 2030. The plans take into consideration an estimation of the emirate’s population, as well as requirements for Dubai’s bid to host the World Expo 2020 by extending the Red Line to serve the location chosen for the Expo.
Also among approved projects is the name and logo for Dubai Bicycle Racecourse, which will be constructed in Seeh Al Salam area and Endurance Street, and will span an area of 70km.
In an interesting move to preserve the charm of Dubai’s heart, the busy Deira market district, Shaikh Mohammad gave a go ahead to projects that include a dedicated bus lane as well as dedicating internal roads for pedestrians only.
He also gave the green light for a pedestrian bridges project, which will bring the total number of bridges from 74 (2011) to 87 in 2012.
Visiting the RTA’s gallery he was also briefed about two landmark projects by Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of RTA. The prestigious projects are the Union Square development project and the Union House development project.
The Union Square project includes building a monument above the Union Square Metro station on an area of 19,000km. It will include shops, restaurants and bookstores. The Union House (Dar Al Ittihad) development project involves converting it into a museum that documents the history of UAE’s federation.
Shaikh Mohammad was accompanied by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, and other Shaikhs and senior officials.
