The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is taking positive steps towards ensuring sustainable development and curbing the environmental impacts of the activities of the agency, said Essa Al Dosari, CEO of the Public Transport Agency, RTA.

The agency is implementing several programmes and procedures and laying some rules and regulations aiming at conserving the natural resources and curbing the emissions from public transports, he noted.

It is also working on managing the wastes out of its belief in responsibility towards the society, he noted.

The policy explains the broad outlines and the commitments of the higher management, responsibilities, legal frameworks and legislations pertaining to the preservation of natural resources, public health and protection of environment.

“The agency has charted out an Environmental Management System (EMS),” Al Dosari said, noting that, it elaborates the different activities of the agency in the field of environment, ways of curbing the pollution, methods of preserving human resources, sustainable development and mechanisms of dealing with wastes and carbon emission.

Emission of air pollutants from the public buses and ferry boats (abras) were curbed, he said, adding that designing and operating seven ferry boats functioning with electricity and use low-sulphur diesel is part of the agency’s initiative towards this end.

The public bus fleet will be replaced with buses complying with the European standards by using Euro 4 and Euro 5 engines fitted with Exhaust Gas Recirculation that reduce emissions, he said.

The initiative has resulted in significant reduce of carbon emission spewed by increasing use of public transport facilities, he said, adding that work is underway on using natural gas in operating the ferry boats on trial basis, he added.

Taxi passengers

The number of taxi passengers has seen a rise of 7.5 per cent this year as it stood at 84,403,071 in the first half of 2012 compared with 78,276,980 in the same period last year, said Al Dosari.

He told Khaleej Times that booking calls for taxis showed an increase in the first half to 2,530,399 from 2,380,128 last year.

“The system at the booking unit links the taxis of Dubai Taxi Corporation and the franchised companies with the satellite control system, by precisely directing the drivers and ensuring that the public requests are met quickly and effectively,” he explained.

Al Dosari said taxi passengers were shuttled by operating 48,507,512 trips during the first six months of this year, compared with the 44,986,776 trips made during the first half of 2011.

malzarooni@khaleejtimes.com