RTA reviews Belgian experience in improving marine transport

The Roads and Transport Authority, RTA, has reviewed the latest international practices in designing stations and the infrastructure of marine transport through a visit of the RTA delegation to Antwerp city, Belgium.

The visit is part of the RTA’s strategy to share relevant international expertise and familiarise itself with the latest developments in various fields of the industry, besides activating its membership in the Waterborne Transport Platform, UITP.

Mansour Al Falasi, Director of Marine Transport, RTA Public Transport Agency, said, "The visit of the RTA delegation to Antwerp, Belgium, was part of our endeavours to keep pace with the latest global trends of marine transport, which attract a considerable number of tourists, visitors and residents in Dubai. We have been acquainted with the procedures applied in operating the ferry and the water bus in the city, and the best ways of motivating staff in the marine transport. We have also examined the best practices applied to curb the emissions from marine transit modes, as we, as a leading government entity, are concerned with reducing the carbon footprint of marine transit modes and adopting green economy and sustainable energy concepts.

"The visit has achieved several successes such as activating our membership in the Waterborne Transport Platform, which in turn will leverage our role in supporting this sector, and allow us access to the latest developments in the industry. We have identified the possibility of implementing a Ferry Manoeuvring System developed by Volvo IPS, which accelerates the boarding and alighting of passengers, besides assisting the compliance with journey timetables. We can also make use of the fare system designed to increase the number of riders, and carry out customers’ satisfaction surveys in peak and off-peak hours."

"These ideas will be examined and shared with the RTA’s senior leadership to identify the ones that conform to Dubai drive and the RTA’s vision of providing ‘Safe and Smooth Transport for All,'" the Director of Marine Transport said in conclusion.

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