RTA Showcases its Visions at Global Public Transport Summit in Barcelona
Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has taken part in the 64th UITP Global Public Transport Summit held in Barcelona, Spain featuring the participation of 1900 delegates from 100 countries. About 300 speakers delivered speeches in 85 discussion panels that discussed the latest ideas and visions about urban and sustainable mobility. On the sidelines of the summit, an exhibition of the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) hosted 15,000 visitors, and RTA showcased its latest public transport and sustainable projects and initiatives about self-driving transport and smart technology-driven services through its stand.
The summit, which is held biennially, offers a huge gathering of transport specialists worldwide and showcases the latest technologies of infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and sustainability. Bright Light of the City, which was this year’s theme focused on providing smooth and safe transport through integrated transport networks.
His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Director General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA delivered a speech at the opening session of the summit in the presence of Her Excellency Raquel Sánchez Jiménez, Spanish Minister for Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, His Excellency Khalid AlHogail, President of UITP and Her Excellency Ada Colau, Mayor of Barcelona, Spain. Al Tayer stressed Dubai’s commitment to boosting sustainable and innovative transport across all public and shared transport means.
“Under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai, and the follow-up of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of the Executive Council, and His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, emphasis is being made on adopting resilient government processes and envisioning the future besides keeping pace with the rapid changes experienced by the world, and developing future solutions for challenges of all kinds,” noted Al Tayer.
Ambitious Plans
“Dubai Government has invested more than Euro 37 billion (AED146 billion) in upgrading the infrastructure of roads and public transport networks over the past 18 years to ensure smooth and sustainable transport for Dubai’s residents and visitors. Dubai’s integrated public transport modes form the backbone of people’s mobility around Dubai. The network succeeded in leveraging the proportion of public and shared transport from 6% in 2006 to as much as 19.4% in 2022, and the plan is to push it further to 25% by 2030,” commented Al Tayer.
“The network has also coaxed a change in the culture of residents across various segments and their attitude toward using public transport means. RTA’s strategic and executive plans for roads and transport are built on the principle of smooth mobility around Dubai. Moreover, RTA intends to transform all mass transit means into environment-friendly means with zero carbon emissions by 2050.”
“The UITP Global Public Transport Summit is vital for discussing and showcasing the latest innovations and practices of sustainability in public transport besides increasing the share of public transport means in fulfilling the needs of the daily movement of people. It is great that the city of Barcelona, which boasts stunning historical architecture and a unique urban planning system, is the host of this global event that brings together heads of transportation authorities, top manufacturers and experts to exchange knowledge and experiences that shape the future of urban mobility.”
“Dubai has demonstrated a strong commitment towards sustainable and innovative mobility, as evidenced by numerous ongoing initiatives. A prime example of this is the “environmentally friendly Dubai Metro” – the world’s longest driverless metro system. Since its inception in September 2009, it has transported over 2 billion riders while living up to the highest global safety standards coupled with admirable operational efficiency rates, and an impressive 99.7% punctuality rate.
“Dubai has ambitious plans aligned with the United Nations’ sustainable development goals, particularly carbon emissions, and the objectives of the forthcoming Conference of the Parties (COP28), to be hosted by the UAE this year. Our pledge to sustainable mobility is also illustrated by the Dubai Urban 2040 Plan. This people-centric strategy is built on a host of key pillars namely the integration of land use, transport planning, the use of sustainable transportation means and the 20-minute city concept,” explained Al Tayer.
