Dubai Municipality attends MetroRail 2005 conference in London

His remarks came in an international conference on metro networks, titled MetrRail 2005, which was held in London during 7-8 March 2005.

Sultan led a delegation to the conference which also consisted of Munther Akram Juma, Director of Public Relations and Organisations Department, Nasser Ahmed Saeed, Director of Roads Department and General Coordinator of the LRT Project, and Essa Al Dossary, Assistant Director of the Public Transport Department.

Sultan noted that this policy would involve new regulations controlling the use of personal vehicles. The Dubai Metro's first phase is expected to be over by May 2009.

"With the introduction of Dubai Metro, the market share of public transport including buses and LRT, is projected to rise from the current five per cent to 17 per cent by 2020. The new policies and regulations will take this further to 26 per cent at the target year," he said.

He noted that this modal shift will de-congest the roads, decrease traffic hold-ups and increase road safety. Besides, the metro will also improve air quality and the total health care costs attributed to air pollution will decrease approximately by One Million Dirhams per year.

Talking about the economic vitality of the project, he said the project will shift the activity centres away from the current Central Business Districts and develop the area surrounding the metro stations and along the metro corridor. Besides, the improved transit availability will increase the investment and real-estate value of the existing and new developments, he said.

Sultan said the municipality's participation in the MetroRail 2005 conference in London was to benefit from the expertise of world's prominent rail transport professionals and decision-makers.

Nasser Ahmed Saeed, who presented a paper on the Dubai Metro Project during the conference, has said the municipality would proceed with a Blue Line after the Red and Green lines.

"The Blue Line is designed to perform two functions, on the one hand, it will be a link between the current Dubai International Airport and the proposed Jebel Ali Airport. On the other, it will be a service for the areas located between the terminals. That's why we are studying the feasibility of a three-track line, with one of the tracks directly linking the two airports. Furthermore, we will be drawing up a master plan oriented towards needs of mass transit. The plan will be ready by the end of 2005," Saeed was quoted as saying by the Paris-based Rail & Public Transport magazine.

The magazine carried in its latest issue a detailed report on the Dubai Metro including a personal interview with Saeed who is the General Coordinator of the project.