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 AirConditioned 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 '&' dustresistant 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_AirConditioned_Bus_Shelters_Project_Bags_Gulf_Engineers_Excellence_&_Creativity_
Award/33579.htm

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 AirConditioned 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-busshelters-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 stateof-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-tocomplement-metro