RTA buys 373 new buses for public transport service

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority, RTA, has signed a contract for purchasing 373 buses of Volvo SB3 along with a 10-year maintenance contract in support of Dubai’s mobility plan and to cope with the rising number of public bus riders.

The new buses are compliant with Euro 6 standards, and it will be the first time buses of such standard will be operated in the MENA region. The signing of the contract, which amounts to AED474 million took place on the sidelines of UITP Summit in the Swedish capital Stockholm.

Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors, RTA, and Hakan Agnevall, President, Volvo Bus Corporation , signed the contract in the presence of representatives from both the entities.

"The procurement of these new buses is part of RTA’s strategy to improve Dubai’s public transport services in the Emirate and meet the sustained growth of public transport riders. It serves RTA’s efforts to raise the share of public transport ridership to 26% by 2030. We firmly believe that achieving this target hinges on providing high-quality public transport services at affordable fares, expanding the geographical coverage of public transport network, and boosting the integration of mass transit modes," said Al Tayer.

"The contract covers the procurement of 373 top-class high-safety Volvo buses fitted with Euro 6 environmental-friendly engines and capable of supporting future technologies and innovations. These buses fall under UN Class II Vehicle classification, which allows flexibility in operating buses on inter-city routes or long hauls. Buses are compliant with ITxPT system that enables interoperability between IT systems in public transport, thanks to the availability of bus information database saved in the UAE (UAE Cloud)," said Al Tayer.

Each bus can accommodate 74 riders and is fitted with interactive touch screens to display instant information about the journey. Buses are also equipped with Raqeeb (Driver Behaviour Monitoring) System to track drivers’ exhaustion. They also have Rasid (Automated Passenger Counting) System to record the actual number of passengers and match it with the Automated Fare Collection System to abort fare evasion attempts.

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