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RTA plan to tackle traffic congestion

DUBAI — Traffic congestion and low levels of traffic safety are among the main issues to be tackled by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) as parts of it’s Strategic Plan for 2007-2009, announced a top RTA official yesterday.

During a meeting at the Emirates Towers Hotel to announce the list of 10 main ‘to-dos’ for the next three years, RTA Chairman and CEO Mattar Al Tayer said Dh40 billion would be spent by the authority to meet the assigned goals.

“A fast-changing city planning, unavailability of planning information and lack of coordination among land use and RTA planning is among the root causes of traffic congestion,” he added.

Citing other causes Al Tayer said, “There is limited use of mass public transport in the UAE.”

“There is also an inefficiency of the road network due to bad traffic behaviour among drivers while a weakness in handling emergency situations also exists,” he explained.

Al Tayer also said with 20 fatalities per 100,000 compared to six in countries like Briain and Sweden, traffic safety levels in the UAE were lower than those in advanced countries.

Describing the technical plans of RTA until the year 2020, Al Tayer said the Metro will cover 318-km-long area, trams will cover 270km while the bus will cover an area of 3,000 km.

Later, Al Tayer told the media that as per a survey conducted by the authority, only six per cent of Emiratis expressed the desire to use the Metro. “We want to encourage the use of Metro and are holding campaigns regarding this,” he said.

He also said the RTA had adopted a standard system in issuing of driving licences and training to improve the road safety issues.

The targets set by RTA will tackle issues ranging from traffic congestion to integration of mass transport systems to upgrading it’s resources.

STRATEGIC GOALS

· By March 2008 the road network capacity would be increased to 47 routes compared to only 19 in 2006. There will be an additional nine access routes, including interchanges

· The length of the roads will be increased to a total of 3,000km while there will be 80 main roads within the emirate

· 210km will be earmarked for marine transport; the number of boats will be increased to 57 and 50 stations

· Increase in number of pedestrian crossings and pathways for bikes

· Introduction of unified card system for metro, marine and other modes of transport

· Abras to be converted to hybrid engines with the traditional aspect kept intact

· Signing of 40 strategic agreements with partners

· Privatising of non-core services with a target of 37 per cent in 2008

· Achieving 95 per cent success in all the 230 technical services provided by the authority, and introducing schemes involving the public and strategic partners