News Clip 1 of 4

RTA AIR-CONDITIONED BUS SHELTERS PROJECT BAGS GULF ENGINEERS EXCELLENCE '&' CREATIVITY AWARD

06/01/2009

Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) won Gulf Engineers Excellence '&' Creativity Award presented in the 12th Gulf Engineering Forum held under the banner "Gulf Engineer and the Challenges of Sustainable Development" hosted by Qatar during 21-23 December 2008. The award winning project was the distinguished RTA Air-Conditioned Bus Shelters; the first of its kind worldwide. The Award was received on behalf of H.E. Mattar al Tayer - Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA and Chairman of UAE Society of Engineers - by Essa Abdul-Rahman Al-Dossari, CEO of RTA Public Transport Agency. Gulf Engineers Excellence '&' Creativity Award aims to meet two main objectives; namely highlighting the joint Gulf engineering work and realizing the objectives of Gulf Engineering Forums, and rekindling the spirit of competitiveness '&' creativity in various fields of engineering profession. Al Tayer was delighted with this Award which adds to the impressive record of RTA achievements embellished with a fine array of vital projects '&' strategic initiatives. "Such achievements are bound to enhance the profile of the UAE as a whole and the emirate of Dubai in particular at the regional and Gulf levels. They also motivate others to redouble their efforts and make most of the existing projects" he said. "The air-conditioned bus shelters, modeled after the crescent shape, are the first ever worldwide. They are made of quality materials, and painted with heat '&' dust-resistant material so as to offer convenient and excellent service to bus commuters during the blazing heat of summer. These shelters are provided with a package of services and facilities such as ATM, and vending machines of newspapers, snacks and soft drinks in addition to three rubbish-recycling units (for paper, glass and metals). Project implementation is progressing according to the approved plan and so far about 500 shelters have been operated at various areas of the emirate, and the number is set to hit 1500 shelters by 2010" added Al Tayer. The CEO of RTA Public Transport Agency Essa Abdul-Rahman Al-Dossari said: "Winning this prestigious Award would not have been possible without the wise directions and ongoing support of H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA. It is also a product of the incessant efforts of RTA site work teams attending to delivering this vital Project, which is one of the key pillars of achieving the intended integration and increasing public transport ridership". Emirates News Agency, WAM

http://www.uaeinteract.com/docs/RTA_Air-

Conditioned_Bus_Shelters_Project_Bags_Gulf_Engineers_Excellence_&_Creativity_

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News Clip 2 of 4

Dubai's bus shelters win award

The award winning project was the distinguished RTA Air-Conditioned Bus

Shelters; the first of its kind worldwide.

Published: 12:42 January 5, 2009

Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) won Gulf Engineers Excellence & Creativity

Award presented in the twelfth Gulf Engineering Forum held under the banner "Gulf

Engineer and the Challenges of Sustainable Development" hosted by Qatar during

21-23 December 2008. The award winning project was the distinguished RTA Air-

Conditioned Bus Shelters; the first of its kind worldwide.

The Award was received on behalf of Mattar al Tayer - Chairman of the Board and

Executive Director of the RTA and Chairman of UAE Society of Engineers - by Essa

Abdul-Rahman Al-Dossari, CEO of RTA Public Transport Agency.

Gulf Engineers Excellence & Creativity Award aims to meet two main objectives;

namely highlighting the joint Gulf engineering work and realizing the objectives of

Gulf Engineering Forums, and rekindling the spirit of competitiveness & creativity in

various fields of engineering profession.

Al Tayer was delighted with this Award which adds to the impressive record of RTA

achievements embellished with a fine array of vital projects & strategic initiatives.

Such achievements are bound to enhance the profile of the UAE as a whole and the emirate of Dubai in particular at the regional and Gulf levels. They also motivate

others to redouble their efforts and make most of the existing projects'' he said.

The air-conditioned bus shelters, modeled after the crescent shape, are the first ever worldwide. They are made of quality materials, and painted with heat & dust-resistant

material so as to offer convenient and excellent service to bus commuters during the

blazing heat of summer. These shelters are provided with a package of services and

facilities such as ATM, and vending machines of newspapers, snacks and soft drinks

in addition to three rubbish recycling units (for paper, glass and metals). Project

implementation is progressing according to the approved plan and so far about 500

shelters have been operated at various areas of the emirate, and the number is set to

hit 1500 shelters by 2010'' added Al Tayer.

The CEO of RTA Public Transport Agency Essa Abdul-Rahman Al-Dossari said:

Winning this prestigious Award would not have been possible without the wise directions and ongoing support of Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and

Executive Director of the RTA. It is also a product of the incessant efforts of RTA site

work teams attending to delivering this vital Project, which is one of the key pillars of

achieving the intended integration and increasing public transport ridership''.

The Award presentation ceremony was attended by Dr. Khalil al Hosani, the Vice

Chairman of UAE Society of Engineers, Mr. Rashad Bukhash and Mr. Khalid

Basaleeb Members of UAE Society of Engineers, and Abdullah Yousuf, Director of

Bus Department at RTA Public Transport Agency.

http://gulfnews.com/news/uae/general/dubai-s-bus-shelters-win-award-1.473213

News Clip 3 of 4

RTA wins Gulf Engineers award for bus shelters The Roads and Transport Authority has won a Gulf Engineers Excellence and Creativity Award for the airconditioned bus shelter project - the first of its kind in the world. The award was presented at the 12th Gulf Engineering Forum held in Qatar last December 21 to 23.

January 5, 2009

Dubai: The Roads and Transport Authority has won a Gulf Engineers Excellence and Creativity Award for the airconditioned bus shelter project - the first of its kind in the world. The award was presented at the 12th Gulf Engineering Forum held in Qatar last December 21 to 23. The award was accepted on behalf of Mattar Al Tayer, chairman of the board and executive director of the RTA and chairman of the UAE Society of Engineers, by Eisa Abdul Rahman Al Dossari, chief executive of the RTA Public Transport Agency. Al Tayer said: "Such achievements are bound to enhance the profile of the UAE as a whole and the emirate of Dubai in particular at the regional and Gulf levels. They also motivate others to redouble their efforts and make most of the existing projects." The prestigious Gulf Engineers Excellence and Creativity Award aims to meet two main objectives, the first being to highlight engineering work in the Gulf and realising the objectives of Gulf Engineering Forums, and the second being the encouragement of the spirit of competitiveness and creativity in engineering. http://m.gulfnews.com/news/uae/transport/rta-wins-gulf-engineers-award-for-bus-shelters-1.43509

News Clip 4 of 4

Increase in Dubai buses to complement metro Gregor McClenaghan January 6, 2009

DUBAI // Dubai is to triple its bus service amid concerns people will not use the new metro system if they have to walk to stations. The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) yesterday said it would increase its bus fleet to 2,000 from 600 by the time the Red Line opened in September. It will also raise the number of bus stops to 1,500 from 500 by 2010, putting every resident within a stone's throw of an air-conditioned shelter.

The RTA acknowledges people are unlikely to use the Dh15.5 billion (US$4.2bn) driverless metro system if they had to walk more than a few minutes to a station, particularly in summer months. "People say they like the idea of the metro, but that they live far away from it and do not want to walk a long time, especially in the summer," an RTA spokesman said yesterday. "We have planned it so that from anywhere in Dubai you will be no more than 400 metres from an air-conditioned bus stop, which is walkable in any temperature. The structure of public transport will be like the skeleton of a fish, with the metro as the backbone and the bus routes as the bones coming away from it."

People living in Dubai said they would be wary of giving up their cars for the metro if the additional bus routes were not in place. "I live more than a kilometre from the metro line and it would be too far to walk in the summer," said Dylan Reedie, 32, who lives in Al Barsha. "If there's a bus every five minutes I'd definitely consider it, as the traffic can be really bad getting to work, but I'll probably wait and see how smoothly it all fits together before giving up the car for good."

The design of the crescent-shaped bus shelters, which feature vending machines, ATMs, and a button allowing passengers to signal to the bus driver that they are inside without having to step out of the air-conditioning, was recently commended at the Gulf Engineering Forum in Qatar, where the RTA was given the Gulf Engineers Excellence and Creativity Award. "They are designed to keep in mind the heritage of the region, but the award was not just for how they look - it is for all the other aspects which will help encourage people to use them," the RTA spokesman said.

"They and the buses have been specifically designed for Dubai to make them convenient for users - some will have coffee shops and wi-fi access. They are state-of-the-art. "This is a public-private partnership; the land is owned by the RTA but the shelters are being built and operated by private companies. We are starting to do a lot more of our projects in this way, both to help stimulate the economy and to involve the private sector more in the development of Dubai."

The metro's 52km Red Line, which stretches the length of Sheikh Zayed Road between Al Rashidiya and Jebel Ali, is expected to carry about 27,000 passengers an hour in each direction on 42 trains, stopping at Burj Dubai and Internet City

among other stations. gmclenaghan@thenational.ae

http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/transport/increase-in-dubai-buses-to-complement-metro