RTA, Dubai Police to step up safety of roads and transit means

DUBAI, 18th January, 2016 (WAM) - Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), has recently held a coordinative meeting with Major General Khamis Mattar Al-Mazeina, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police. The meeting discussed the Improvement of Al Wasl and Jumeirah Roads Project, Improvement of Roads around the International City Project, Route 2020 Project for extending the Red Line of the Dubai Metro to World Expo site, safety issues of the Dubai Tram, and the Management of Traffic Accidents Project.

Al Tayer started the meeting by welcoming the delegation of the General HQ of Dubai Police, and stressing the importance of such coordinative and periodic meetings as they open a direct communication channel to examine common business developments, such as the stepping up the safety of traffic movement and mass transit means for the benefit of citizens and residents of Dubai Emirate.

Al Tayer commended the strategic partnership between RTA and General HQ of Dubai Police, and praised the huge support and cooperation from the Dubai Police as regards traffic management and enforcement measures.

"The General HQ of Dubai Police and RTA are amongst key government departments in the Emirate, and share a number of roles & responsibilities, which require high-level cooperation and coordination to achieve common interests. Such cooperation will also help the integration of services delivered by the two entities to citizens and residents of the Emirate of Dubai," said Al-Mazeina.

The meeting discussed the Improvement of Al Wasl and Jumeirah Roads Project endorsed by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, involving the diversion of all the four traffic lanes of Al Wasl and Jumeirah Roads in a clockwise manner. Thus, the traffic will flow on the entire Al Wasl Road in the direction of Burj Al Arab, and on the entire Jumeirah Road in the direction of the 2nd of December Road. The project aims at streamlining the traffic movement and making it friendlier to pedestrian traffic in both roads, besides enhancing the business activities at both roads.

Discussions also covered the Improvement of Roads around the International City Project, where entry and exit points of the city, especially at Al Awir and Al Manama Roads were examined. The project will be undertaken in two phases; the first covers the improvement of Al Awir Road and bridges leading to the International City, and the second covers the improvement & widening of Al Manama Road.

The delegation of the Dubai Police reviewed the details of Route 2020 Project involving the extension of the Red Line of the Dubai Metro from Nakheel Harbour and Towers Station to Expo site in a sector stretching 15 km; 11 km in an elevated track and 4 km in an underground track. The sector comprises seven stations; 5 elevated and 2 underground. It was also agreed that the Transport Security Department at the Dubai Police would assess the security requirements of the project in order to ensure a suitable working environment for security personnel considering the lessons learnt from the Dubai Metro and Tram projects. The meeting also reviewed measures taken by RTA at three vital junctions of the Dubai Tram where the Tram’s movement overlaps with vehicular movement with a view to raising the safety level of the tram, vehicles and pedestrians.

The two parties discussed the Management of Traffic Accidents in Dubai aimed at reducing the time taken in managing traffic accidents and restoring traffic movement back to normal as quickly as possible. Through the project, RTA is seeking to provide the logistical support required by the Police in managing traffic accidents by providing alternative roads, traffic diversions... etc. It was agreed to implement the project on a tentative base on one of the Sheikh Zayed Road’s sectors for a six-month period. The experiment will then be assessed in terms of the time taken in managing traffic accidents in order to broaden the scope of positive results achieved and further implement them as a joint procedure for managing traffic accidents.

WAM/tfaham