Recession No Red Signal,  Metro Project on Track

DUBAI - The Dh15.5 billion Dubai Metro project is going strong and is on schedule, despite the ongoing global financial crisis, Abdul Majeed Al Khaja, the CEO of the Rail Agency, said adding that reports about lay-offs are  incorrect.

By Joy Sengupta

Published: Wed 24 Dec 2008, 1:32 AM

Last updated: Sun 5 Apr 2015, 5:24 PM

Speaking on the sidelines of the conference which saw the announcement of the first batch of companies winning the Metro stations Naming Rights bid, the official stressed on the fact that the project was concrete and condensed and firmly on track.

“There have been no layoffs as far as the Metro project goes. We don’t have an abundance of employees as the RTA employs according to the needs. Everyone working on the project has got a role and a job to do and we don’t have a surplus of people.

“In fact, the total number of employees currently working in the Metro and the Tram project is just one-sixth compared to similar projects anywhere in the world,” Al Khaja said.

“This means, that if an employer has hired 600 people for a project as big as the Metro, we have only hired 100. So, the number of employees are less and efficiency is more,”

Thirty Trains

The official said that till now, they had received 30 trains out of the total 44 which will run on the Red Line from September next year.

“Right now, we are focusing on the improvement and construction of roads which will lead to the entrance ports of the many stations. This is being done with the help of the Roads Agency. The Public Transport Agency is also helping and the new lot of 1,616 buses, which they have ordered, will be arriving in phases soon and will act as ‘Feeder buses’ transporting passengers from the many stations. Every mode of public transport will be integrated,” Khaja said.

Blue Line

With the Agency officials earlier stating that the construction of the Blue Line of the Metro might get delayed, Khaja said that it was not a worry for them.

“Before starting off with the construction of a project or even a Line, the Strategy and Corporate Governance Department studies the area where the project is going to take place. And these studies are updated by them from time to time. If they find that the project will be feasible, we go on with the project.”

He added: “The development of the area plays an important part as we don’t want to build a project first and then sustain losses. If there is a considerable amount of development happening along the Emirates Road, the Blue Line will be given a go signal.” According to the laid out plan, the Blue Line of the Dubai Metro will be 47km long and will run along the whole Emirates Road and will also provide a shuttle service between the two airports.

Earlier, officials had told Khaleej Times that the initial plan to start with the construction of the Blue Line once the Green Line was complete, had changed.

Now, it will be the Purple Line first. In addition to this, the Purple Line will take an extra two years to get completed, officials had said. The Purple Line of the Metro will be an express service linking the Jebel Ali Airport with Dubai International Airport.

Fares, security

Khaja said the Metro fares were still undecided. With the Metro being integrated with the other modes of public transport, the official said that it will be cheap and easy to the pocket. He added that the total security of the Dubai Metro will be handled by the Dubai police, something like what it is done at the airports.

joy@khaleejtimes.com