Dynamic and agile planning kept public transport moving
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has ensured the delivery of safe public transport across the city, despite the pandemic, by implementing early preventive measures against Covid-19, said Mattar Mohammad Al Tayer, RTA director-general and chairman of the board of executive directors.
In an exclusive interview with Gulf News, Al Tayer said such measures contributed effectively to the speedy recovery of the public transport sector, while ensuring the health and safety of RTA employees and the riding public.
Al Tayer explained the RTA was quick to formulate its strategy against the spread of Covid-19 because of the established operating procedure in this vital sector. He said: “The response to infectious diseases has been part of the RTA’s risk reduction and management since 2008.”
“(We) supported the government’s campaign against Covid-19 by adopting various measures focusing on four main elements: (1) Protecting the health of all employees; (2) ensuring the safety of the public through sanitisation of all facilities and transport modes; (3) ensuring continuity of services; and (4) supporting the Dubai Government’s efforts in tackling the outbreak of Covid-19,” he added.
We supported the government’s campaign by protecting the health of employees, ensuring the safety of the public through regular sanitisation and ensuring the continuity of services.”
Mattar Mohammad Al Tayer | RTA director-general
Agile response plan
Al Tayer said: “Based on the directions from the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority (NCEMA) and the Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management in Dubai, RTA prepared a dynamic and agile response plan for all modes of transport to ensure the right measures are implemented at all times based on the city’s requirements.”
According to Al Tayer, each agency at the RTA prepared its own plan, monitored the implementation and reported back to the RTA Crisis Team.
The responses include: Social distancing measures; distribution of awareness stickers, deployment of additional staff for implementation and enforcement; disinfection of transport facilities; constant reminder on health protocols; mandatory use of face masks; regular screening of transport frontline employees; and achieving very high percentage of vaccination among transport frontline staff — which is approximately 95 per cent. Al Tayer enumerated: “We sanitise our fleet and facilities daily, including the entire Metro and tram fleets of 79 trains and 11 trams; 47 Metro stations and 11 tram stations; 1,372 buses, five bus depots and 17 bus stations; and the entire taxi fleet, in addition to limousines and shared transport numbering to 17,000 vehicles.”
Measures taken
He continued: “In addition to the sanitisation of various public transport modes, the following measures were introduced: The passenger capacity of public transport modes including metro, trams and buses and marine transport was reduced to enforce social distancing between riders; crowd control was enforced at the entrances of public transport stations; taxis were allowed to carry only two passengers with the driver; the use of masks on board public transport modes was made mandatory; access to lifts was limited to two people and the use of escalators was restricted.”