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RTA to build new marine station, expand two others

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has started expanding two marine transport stations and constructing one more to meet the growing demand.

The two marine stations being upgraded are at Al Mamzar and Jumeirah Open Beach to accommodate both the Dubai Ferry and the Water Taxi.

A new marine station is being built at Al Jaddaf to boost the integration of the multi-modal mass transit systems in the area, which houses a metro station, a marine transport station and a public bus station.

In an interview with Khaleej Times, Mohammed Al Ali, Acting CEO of Public Transport Agency, said the ongoing marine projects will serve the populous tourist and urban destinations to ease the movement of residents and tourists. It will also help keep pace with the huge growth in the ridership of marine transit means comprising of abras, water bus, water taxi and Dubai Ferry.

About 13.223 million people used marine transport in 2013.

Once Al Mamzar and Jumeirah Open Beach marine stations are upgraded, an estimated 50 per cent more people will use the facilities. The link network of Dubai Creek and Dubai Marina currently sees about 500,000 passengers annually. “These two stations are servicing only the Water Taxi but with its expansion, Dubai Ferry can also be serviced. Dubai Ferry, which is catering mainly to tourists, has gold tickets for Dh75 and silver tickets for Dh50,” Al Ali said.

The new projects are part of the Marine Transport Master Plan, which was part of the agenda in a meeting between Mattar Al Tayer, RTA Chairman of the Board and Executive Director, and Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director-General of the Dubai Municipality.

Al Tayer said such coordination between the RTA and the Dubai Municipality resulted in streamlining several procedures related to customer transactions.

Lootah said: “Such interaction has become a defining business approach adopted by all authorities and departments of the Dubai Government, considering it the only viable means for delivering best in class services to customers.”

— lily@khaleejtimes.com