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DoT gets elected as vice chair of UITP Mena board

The Department of Transport (DoT) on Tuesday announced it was recently elected for the position of vice-chair of the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) Mena Executive Board.

According to the department, Saeed Mohammad Fadel Al Hameli, Acting Director of Organisation Development and Adviser to the Executive Director of Surface Transport at DoT, won the highest number of votes to secure the position.

The second highest position in UITP will enable DoT to obtain a permanent seat in the Policy Board of UITP.

“The transportation sector in Abu Dhabi is witnessing rapid growth in all aspects, and to keep pace with this growth, officials in the industry, in addition to service providers and operators of Public Transport, should always seek to handle future challenges of transportation, sustainability and the preservation of environment,” said Al Hameli.

He further added that this position puts extra responsibilities on his shoulders, calling for more utilisation of the modern and sophisticated public transportation in Abu Dhabi in order to place it in its appropriate position among the developed cities worldwide.

“The Department of Transport in Abu Dhabi is always keen to bring the best expertise and international best practice to the public transport sector, as we have benefitted from the expertise of the UITP, which now encompasses 92 member states with (3,200) officials,” the official pointed out.

Al Hameli also highlighted the importance of investment in establishing and developing a public transport system that meets the needs of different segments of society, and that public transport has obvious advantages such as saving nearly five times the energy consumed by private vehicles. In addition, an efficient public transport system contributes to the reduction of air pollution caused by private vehicles by half, he added. The department this year hosted the Policy Board Meeting of UITP, which was held for the first time outside the European continent.

The meetings included a special workshop on Abu Dhabi that discussed the challenges faced by the Emirate in its efforts to develop sophisticated and sustainable public transport in line with the Abu Dhabi current and future plans.

nissar@khaleejtimes.com