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Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) opened Al Jaddaf marine transport station on Tuesday, the first integrated marine station in the emirate.
Why Jaddaf a vital marine station
The station acts as a link between the Dubai Creek, Business Bay and Dubai Water Canal in future.
It is the first marine mass transport station that has comprehensive premises for serving various marine transit means namely, the ferry, water bus, water taxi, traditional abra, and the air-conditioned abra.
It is situated close to the Creek Metro Station and the public bus station, which is just 200 metres apart.
Opening the new services, Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), said: "These projects are part of a master plan charted by the RTA for upgrading marine transport means, which ferries about 13 million riders per annum.
The station's design replicates the architectural legacy of the Dubai Emirate, and offers tailor-made facilities for disabled persons.
Al Tayer added that 12 new marine stations in the Business Bay and the Dubai Water Canal will be launched by 2018, raising the number of marine transport to 77 stations by 2020.
He inspected the facilities of the station and was briefed by Abdullah Yousef Al Ali, CEO of Public Transport Agency; and Mansour Al Falasi, Director of Marine Transport.
The design of the station replicates the architectural legacy of the emirate, and offers tailor-made facilities for disabled persons.
Al Tayer also launched the air-conditioned traditional abra that combines the shape of traditional abra and the use of the latest technologies.
The air-conditioned abra will operate from Al Jadaf Station to Festival City Station that hosts a mall, retail stores, hotels, residential community, golf playground and several other facilities.
Al Tayer added that the concentration on marine transport will give citizens and tourists the chance to enjoy the picturesque view of the iconic tourist and urban facilities.
The trip takes seven minutes, and the service will be operational seven days a week from 7am to 12am.
The fare is just 2 dirhams, and RTA will run a service to Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary.
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