RTA to provide "Awselni" service to its staff

For this purpose RTA Public Transport Agency allocated new and sophisticated buses imported from the world's best manufacturers.

In a press conference held by the Public Transport Agency at its new premises at Muhaisna, Dubai, Essa Abdul Rahman Al Dosari, CEO of RTA Public Transport Agency revealed that the concept was well received by a large segment of RTA employees.

Mobility Management Programs Section at Planning & Business Development Department at the Agency has prepared an integrated plan to achieve this target, following an elaborate study of the current trends and situation of mass transit in the emirate of Dubai.

The study highlighted the importance of having RTA employees perform their own share of duty towards easing traffic bottleneck. This approach is bound to contribute to smooth traffic flow and minimize the number of tragic traffic accidents and reduce pollution.

"Through offering Awselni service to RTA employees, we hope to have played our role in easing psychological and physical tension, to which employees are subjected to every day while driving through congested roads. This will likely boost employees efficiency and performance, reduce employees' financial burdens, ensure timely arrival and departure and reduce the number of vehicles on the roads during rush hours. Through this exercise we will be contributing to alleviating problems of finding parking spaces near the place of work and making RTA an example to be followed by other businesses and entities in Dubai.

"Since it was established last year, Mobility Management Programs Section at Public Transport Agency was engaged in preparing details of the 'Lift Me' program through which the Agency will deploy dedicated buses to give a lift to RTA employees from their homes to their work places and vice versa. These buses are manufactured at the highest standards and provided with internet service, television screens, safety and security and air-conditioning system of the highest standards worldwide. Mobility Management Program Section has recently circulated e-mails to all RTA employees to enter their details and sign up to this vital service.

"Public Transport Authority is pressing ahead with its efforts to encourage all RTA employees to explore this experiment, though subscription will be optional and free to all. The service will not be restricted to employees residing in Dubai only, but will also extend to cover staff members resident in Sharjah, Ajman and other emirates in future.

"Subscription to this service will be quite beneficial to employees in terms of public health as they will enjoy a lift from home to office and back home by state-of-the-art buses, effectively relieving them of pressures and tensions endured during driving at peak hours. They will also be able to save some money which they would have otherwise incurred on fuel and maintenance of their own cars as a result of daily shuttling between the place of work and home. Equally this initiative will be very instrumental in encouraging other public and private sector entities to follow suit to provide conveyance for their employees, a matter which is considered a sheer testament to the huge responsibility shouldered by these companies and organizations towards various categories of the community.

"All types of mass media, be it written, audio-visual or electronic, play an effective role in bolstering RTA's efforts to expand and develop public the transport network such as public buses, taxis, marine transport and metro. This could be achieved through disseminating and advocating the culture of mass transit and transforming the prevailing social view towards using public transport modes," said Al Dosari in a concluding remark.

From another perspective, Khaled Mohammed Hashem, Director of Planning & Business Development Department at RTA Public Transport Agency, revealed that 372 employees have signed up to this services, which makes 24% of RTA's employees (excluding bus and taxi drivers).

"We have analyzed applications submitted for registration based on place of living in Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman as well as place of work in RTA offices. The project consists of three phases. Phase I covers Lift Me service to RTA employees at RTA main Head Office at Umm Rumool. Phase II covers Public Transport Agency employees at Muhaisna and Phase III includes the rest of employees in various RTA offices. We have also studied the impact of the service on areas surrounding RTA offices and we concluded that traffic congestion will drop by 18%.

"The Agency has allocated 10 new modern, spacious, highly comfortable and safe buses. We have coordinated with Maintenance & Services Department to introduce wireless internet and e-attendance systems. The employee is presumed to have joined duty from the moment he or she enters the electronic print on board the bus. These buses, which are fitted with environment-friendly engines, have been procured form top class global manufacturers.

"The initial phase of Lift Me service will be launched next Sunday June 8 and the remaining two phases will be offered later on. Mobility Management Programs Section will stage a two-day introductory workshop prior to service inauguration for all participating employees. Booklets describing how to benefit from this service along with route maps of buses deployed in Lift Me service will be distributed to beneficiaries," said Hashim.

At the end of last year, Public Transport Agency established Mobility Management Programs Section at Planning & Business Development Department of the Agency. The key roles of this Section are focused on addressing the requirements of public transport improvement plans in the emirate of Dubai through encouraging the public to use more public transport means and less private vehicles, after providing in place suitable alternatives to meet this goal.