RTA to purchase 620 modern buses valued over AED 1.4 billion

They are the United Motors and Heavy Equipment (MAN) and Solaris Bus and Coach S.A. The buses are to be imported in September 2007 and December 2008.

During the press conference, Mohammed Obeid Al Mulla, CEO of Public Transport Agency of RTA said: "The Public Transport Agency is always keen and committed to deliver innovative solutions and methods based on the most advanced concepts and modern strategies in this vital field. We, through our commitment to excellence, endeavor to be the reliable name behind most of the leading service projects in Dubai, as the public transport sector is deemed one of the important fundamentals and essential indicators to the progress drive and urban rise the UAE is witnessing in different fields and sectors including the service sector."

He added, "The Public Transport Agency, through purchasing these buses, aims at raising the percentage of trips made by the collective transport to 30% through providing collective transport alternatives distinctive in their high quality, affordable fares and comprehensive coverage that compete with the private vehicles; in addition to spreading the awareness, changing the social concepts over the collective transport means, and ensuring the integration among the collective transport systems and linkage between the public buses, metro and marine transport."

Al Mulla said that the value of this contract reached over AED1.4 billion, as well as signing a maintenance contract valued over AED 558 million for 5 years to totally mark over AED1.9 billion deal. This contract also covers transferring the technical know-how and training the Public Buses Department staffs.

To ensure the best services delivered to the public, Al Mulla confirmed that the Public Transport Agency is bent to draft studies on the Bus Master Plan whose recommendations are going to be adopted in developing the public bus services.

The project involves the bus favorability system to deliver speed and safe transport services, apply modern technologies such as (AVM & OCC), develop the public transport network, improve the efficiency of operation, determine the demands from the buses and their technical specifications, determine the suitable infrastructure, study and develop the current faring system, develop the public feedback quality, marketing, benefit from the technological alternatives; in addition to building six stations to shelter the buses in Jebel Ali, Al Qouz, Motor City, Dubai's Silicon Oasis, Jebel Ali Airport and Al Qusais.

Al Mulla explained that the deal would involve 170 double-decker buses, 300 articulated buses and 150 ordinary buses, referring that the 300 articulated buses would be imported in August 2007 and June 2008, the 150 ordinary buses would be imported in December 2007 and June 2008, while the 170 double-decker buses would be imported in September 2007 and December 2008.

"The RTA through a number of effective plans, innovative solutions and the strategic initiatives strives to cover 95% of the urban areas in Dubai within the next two to three years," Al Mulla concluded.

Meanwhile, Engineer Mahdi Ali, Director of Public Bus Department, Public Transport Agency of RTA delivered a presentation about the technical sides of the contract including the advanced technical specifications of the new buses and their compliance with the highest internationally recognized quality standards, as well as their high efficient automation and uniquely attractive designs that will add more splendor to Dubai's streets, which will contribute to develop the service and tourist sectors in town.

Ali expected that these buses will bring about a quality leap in the public bus transport, attract more commuters to utilize the public buses, which will effectively contribute to alleviate the traffic congestions and decrease the number of accidents.

The current number of the public buses at the Public Transport Agency is 504 buses operating on 69 lines. It has transported around 88 million commuters over approximately 2 million trips in the year 2006.