Roads & Transport Authority - News Details

HE Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), revealed that 90% of Dubai taxis would be electric or hybrid by 2026 and that RTA had already started trials on electric buses.

“Fast changes and technological advancements triggered by the fourth industrial revolution, demographic growth experienced by metropolitan cities and the associated traffic intensity have forced governments to revise the principles of town planning as well as transport and roads infrastructure to keep pace with future needs,” said Al Tayer in a speech delivered to the main session on Day 2 of Dubai International Projects Management Forum (DIPMF). Other speakers in the session included Laurence Batlle, Chairwoman of RATP Dev, and Bryn Balcombe, Chief Strategy Officer, Roborace. The media specialist Laura Bakewell moderated the session. 

“In implementation of Dubai Self-Driving Strategy to transform 25 of total journeys in Dubai into journeys on self-driving transit means by 2030, RTA has launched several projects and initiatives to address future mobility needs. Such projects are built on the concepts of artificial intelligence, and big data thanks to the launch of Enterprise Command and Control Centre, which handles about 75 million information per day. Work is currently underway in the construction of Traffic Control Centre at Al Barsha; which will be operated in the middle of 2020. RTA has also run bus on-demand service and started trials on electric buses. 

“In collaboration with Careem, RTA launched Hala e-hailing service; which reduced the waiting time for taxis from 12 to 3.5 minutes. Through the free WiFi service, we have overcome the language barrier by providing instant interpretation in the preferred languages of clients,” explained Al Tayer.

“There are still challenges and unknowns in the business of transportation over the next 20 years. Technology is moving at a fast pace and dealing with such a situation warrants using case scenario analysis to plan the future. We need to revise the principles of town planning and the planning of transport and roads infrastructure to address future needs and develop the appropriate work structures. 

“There is a pressing need for coordinated efforts of all concerned sectors to develop future scenarios to support decisions impacting the future of Dubai, monitor global trends, and chart out a proper work plan. 

“Dubai leadership has envisioned the future of mobility early on. His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of the Executive Council, prescribed seven principles defining the future of cities. They include a drastic change in town planning, mobility means, living styles, utilization of resources, competitiveness, town economies and governance. Accordingly, RTA has mapped out future scenarios of mobility for 2030-2071,” concluded Al Tayer. 

Laurence Batlle, Chairwoman of RATP Dev, Paris, stressed the importance of cooperation between public and private sectors in drawing up sustainable mobility solutions. “RATP Dev aims to transform 5000 buses into environmental-friendly buses by 2025. It has designated certain routes for buses to enhance the role of public transport in the mobility of people in Paris,” she added.

Bryn Balcombe, Chief Strategy Officer, Roborace explained the efforts of ADA, a specialist in the use of AI applications, towards minimizing road accident fatalities, which were estimated as 1.5 million cases, by 50% by 2050. He also spoke about the sustainability of mobility, which should serve the needs of various community segments, especially the people of determination.