The Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has shared its strategy for handling Eid traffic, including contingency plans, as well as different operational hours.
Engineer Maitha bin Adai, CEO of RTA Traffic &
Roads Agency, head of the team responsible for Traffic Management and
Operational Plans during Annual Events, said, “The RTA has prepared
operational plans necessary for serving riders during Eid al-Adha
holiday which is usually a busy period. The plan covers Burj Khalifa
district where more than 55 directional signs had been installed to
direct traffic from and to the district. Accordingly, traffic will flow
along Oudh Metha Road through Al Asayel Road, Zabeel Bridges through Al
Saada Road, internal roads of the Business Bay leading to Sheikh Zayed
Road and Al Khail Road in order to ease the pressure on the Financial
Center Road. To ensure a smooth traffic flow, the traffic signals on the
Financial Center Road and Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard will be
monitored and controlled.
“Streamlined procedures will be in
place for buses and taxis which will be deployed in abundance at the
pick-up and drop-off points of Dubai Mall, and additional number of
taxicabs will be deployed at the Mall during peak hours. The public will
be lifted using 10 buses deployed on the route from Dubai Mall to Trade
Center. An agreement has been reached with franchise companies to raise
the operational efficiency of taxicabs to 95%. In case of higher demand
for taxicabs in Dubai Mall, a bus route will be activated to lift
riders to Deira City Center Metro Station, Burjuman Station where more
taxis will be available at those locations.
A bus parking area
has been allocated at both the Address Hotel and Lafayette Hotel. The
RTA has developed an alternative plan for parking buses at the Burj
Khalifa Metro Station in case it is difficult to park at the two
designated areas during peak hours.
According to Bin Adai, a
dedicated team is in place comprising qualified engineers, inspectors
and technicians who are ready to face any emergency during the Eid Al
Adha holiday, in coordination with Dubai Police and Emaar, to ensure the
implementation of all operational plans and required road closures.
RTA has also announced the timings of its different services during the Eid al Adha holiday, covering customers’ happiness centres, public car parks, public buses, Dubai Metro, Dubai Tram, marine transit modes, driving institutes, and vehicles testing & registration centres.
Moaza Al Marri, Director of Marketing & Corporate Communication, RTA Corporate Administrative Support Services Sector, said, “Customers’ happiness centres will be off-duty during Eid al Adha holiday from Sunday September 11th and will resume duty on Sunday September 18th 2016. All paid parking zones in Dubai Emirate will be free of charge except for the parking lots of the Fish Market and the Multi-level Parking terminal starting from Sunday 11 September, and fees will be activated on the Saturday 17 September.
“On Friday September 9th the Dubai Tram will be operational from 9am up
to 1am (on the following day), and from Saturday September 10th to
Tuesday September 13th it will be operating from 6:30am up to 1am (on
the following day).
“Service hours of Dubai Bus from Saturday
September 10th to Monday Sept 12th will be as follows: Main Bus Stations
such at Gold Souk, the service will start at 05.20 am and end at 12:00
am (midnight), and at Al Ghubaiba from 05.00 am to 12:00 (midnight). At
subsidiary stations, buses will operate at Al Qusais, Satwa from 05:00
am to 12:00 (midnight), and Route C01 will be in operation
around-the-clock. At Al Quoz Industrial Station, buses will operate from
05:30 am to 11.30 pm, and at Jebel Ali Station from 6am to 10:15
pm.
"The Water Bus will be operating at Marina stations (Marina Mall, Marina
Walk, Marina Terrace and Marina Promenade) from Saturday September 10th
to Thursday September 15th from 10am to 11pm. On Friday and public
holidays from 12pm up to 12am (midnight).
“The daily business
hours of the Water Taxi service will be from 9am to 10pm. At Al Ghubaiba
Station, the service will run from 10am to 6pm, Dubai Marina Station
from 2pm to 10pm, The Palm Jumeirah (Atlantis) from 11am to 7pm, and The
Palm Jumeirah (Rexos) from 11am to 7pm.
“The Blue Abra (Electric
Abra) will be operating at Burj Khalifa area from 6pm to 11:30pm, and
at Al Mamzar from 2pm to 12am (midnight). Atlantis Abra will operate
from 1pm to 9pm, and the air-conditioned abra at Al Jaddaf, Dubai
Festival City will operate from 7am to 12pm. The traditional abra at
Dubai Creek (Al Ghubaiba, Al Sabkha, Baniyas, and Dubai Old Souk) will
offer service from Saturday September 10th to Thursday September 15th
from 7am to 10pm, and on Friday and public holidays from 10am to 12am
(midnight).
“Dubai Ferry will offer scheduled daily services off
Al Ghubaiba and Marina Mall Stations starting at 11am, 1pm, 3pm, 5pm and
6pm.
“As for the working hours of service providers, all
centres of partners and service providers will be closed during the Eid
al Adha holiday starting from Saturday September 11th up to Tuesday
September 13th, and they will be back in service on Wednesday September
14th.”
Dubai Metro timings include:
September 8:
Stations on the Red Line of Dubai Metro will start service at 5:30am (Express Metro Service) and continue up to 2am (on the following day).
The Green Line will start service at 5:50am and continue up to 2am (on the following day).
September 9:
Both the Red and Green Lines will start service from 10am up to 2am (on the following day).
September 10:
The Red Line will start service from 5:30am up to 2am (on the following day)
The Green Line will be in service from 5:50am up to 2am (on the following day)
September 11 to September 13
The Red Line begins at 5:50am up to 2am (on the following day)
The Green Line will be in service from 5:50am up to 2am (on the following day)
September 14
The Red Line will start from 5:30am to 1am (on the following day).
The Green Line will start service at 5:50am and continue up to 1am (on the following day).
“The Metro Stations Feeder Bus Service at Al Rashidiya, Mall of the
Emirates, Ibn Battuta Mall, Abu Hail, Etisalat, and Dubai Mall-Burj
Khalifa stations will operate from 5:15am to 2:10am (of the following
day)," Moaza added.
Intercity Bus timings include:
Main stations
The service will be running around-the-clock to Jubail and Sharjah. The Abu Dhabi-bound service will be from 5am to 12:50am (past midnight).
Subsidiary stations such as Union Square
The service will be operating from 5am up to 12:30am (past midnight).
Al Sabkha Station
The service will operate from 6:30am to 12am (midnight)
Deira City Center Station
The service will be from 6:55am up to 10pm.
Al Karama Station
The service will run from 6:10am up to 10:15pm
Al Ahli Club Station
The service will run from 7am to 11pm.
External stations: Al Taawon (Sharjah)
The service will run from 7am up to 10:30pm
External stations: Al Fujairah Station
Intercity buses will be in service from 6:45am to 10:30pm
External stations: Ajman Station
Services run from 6am to 11:30pm
External stations: Hatta Station
Operational from 6:30am to 10:40pm.