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RTA firms up Eid transport plans

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has unveiled operational plans of mass transit means and traffic movement management during the Eid Al Adha holidays. The plan includes new bus routes and hundreds of additional parking slots.

The plan has been developed in response to the directives of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to expand the entertainment and shopping events in Dubai during the Eid in Dubai event, which runs for two weeks from October 18 to November 2.

Maitha bin Udai, CEO of the RTA’s Traffic and Roads Agency and head of the team responsible for Traffic Movement Management and Handling Operational Plans during Official and Annual Events, said the RTA has fully prepared the operational plans for managing traffic during the Eid Al Adha holidays.

Parking lots in front of the cinema as well as the parking of the World Trade Center will be used as an option in case the parking at The Dubai Mall is full. Additional buses will be deployed to The Dubai Mall and the number of feeder buses shuttling between Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall will be increased.

In and around Festival City, Deira City Center, Mall of the Emirates and Marina Mall, the RTA will control the signal lights to ease the traffic flow. In view of the Water Fun Event at Creek Park, the authority will control the traffic signals on Al Riyadh Road. Also, 500 additional parking slots will be opened at Al Bom Village.

“At Al Seef Road, a bus route will be opened to transport the public from Khalid bin Al Waleed Station and Burjman Center to Al Seef Station and vice versa. In the Heritage Village, 700 additional parking slots towards Rashid Port will be provided along with dedicated areas for taxis,” Bin Udai said. The Metro will be operating as per the usual timetables from Saturday to Wednesday, but on October 27 and 28, it will operate from 5.30am to 4 am.

During event days, the metro operation timing during Thursdays will be from 5.30am to 4am, and on Friday from 10am to 4am.

As for buses, Bin Udai said: “Additional routes will be introduced. A bus route to Global Village will be activated from Al Ghubaiba Station, and from Etisalat Metro Station to Global Village, the service will run from 1pm to 1am.

The Water Taxi service will also be extended at the Festival City Station and Marina Mall Station 24 hours.”

She added: “The RTA has a communication plan to ensure the effective coordination with the organisers of the events and external bodies (Dubai Police, Dubai Ambulance Services and General Directorate of Civil Defence).”

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