Dubai to spend Dh590m to cut congestion and accident response times

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority has given the green light to a Dh590 million traffic scheme to cut congestion and slash accident response times.

The expanded smart system will monitor 60 per cent of the emirate’s traffic in real time – a sharp increase on the current coverage of 11 per cent.

The increased monitoring network will also improve road safety in Dubai.

The project will allow for real-time responses to traffic movement and reduce congestion at large events, such as Expo 2020, the RTA said.

“The project will cut the time of detecting accidents and congestion build-up and accordingly accelerate the response time,” said Mattar Al Tayer, the director general of RTA.

“It will also provide instant traffic information to the public about the roads network via new variable messaging signs and smart apps.”

The project’s first phase includes the installation of weather and traffic sensors and other data-gathering systems.

Another 112 digital signboards will be installed throughout Dubai to broadcast traffic conditions to motorists.

Fibre-optic lines and new electrical lines will be laid to support the new systems. The sensors and monitors will be connected to a new traffic control centre in Al Barsha South.

Smart system real-time monitoring of Dubai’s traffic will increase from 11 to 60 per cent