Dubai's RTA makes record savings of $23.14mln through green initiatives

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Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has implemented 36 energy and green economy initiatives in 2021, resulting in record savings of AED85 million ($23.14 million) and 68 million kilowatt-hours of electricity.

Besides, RTA saved 55 million gallons of water, 21 million litres of gasoline, 1.8 million litres of diesel, and a reduction of approximately 86 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. It also diverted about 450,000 tonnes of waste from landfill through effective waste management practices, said Mattar Al Tayer, Director General, Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA.

Thus RTA achieved its targeted energy efficiency in 2021 and reduced total energy use in all operations and projects by 18%, compared with the average consumption from 2016 to 2019. It cut the total emissions by 13% and energy costs by 10% during the same period.

Sustainability a key pillar

“Sustainability is a key pillar of RTA’s strategic goals and objectives, and the concept of sustainability has become deeply rooted in RTA’s corporate performance. Protecting the environment, optimising the use of energy, reducing carbon emissions, and ensuring assets sustainability have become priorities,” Al Tayer said.

RTA has a well-defined roadmap that aims to achieve zero-emission from public transport in Dubai by 2050. In the process, RTA is becoming the first government entity in the Middle East and North Africa to develop an integrated roadmap targeting public transport and its infrastructure, said Al Tayer.

Indicators and results

As compared to the average in the years from 2016 to 2019, RTA Energy Analysis Report 2021 showed a decrease in the total energy consumption by 18%, and gasoline consumption by 36%.

This drop is attributed to the increased use of hybrid and electric taxis by Dubai Taxi Corporation, along with a 15% decrease in diesel consumption, despite an increase in the public bus fleet.

RTA has carried out a process to upgrade its old fleet of buses to replace them with modern buses equipped with eco-friendly Euro 6 engines compatible with the European specifications for carbon emissions.

The report also indicated an increase in electricity consumption by 11%, as a result of the operation of the 15-kilometre Dubai Metro Route 2020, which includes seven stations, explained Al Tayer.

Projects and iInitiatives

RTA has accomplished over 95% of green economy initiatives and projects, and future directions are guided by a range of factors, including soft and shared mobility, sustainable transport, circular economy, self-driving vehicles for passengers and goods, and developing services based on customer needs and future skills, concluded Al Tayer.

The year 2021 saw the official operation of the Dubai Metro Route 2020 Project, which serves densely populated districts inhabited by 270,000 inhabitants.

The path of the route was based on several parameters namely the anticipated number of riders in each station, commercial activities around, and the link with other public transit means at each station such as buses, which contributes to Dubai’s sustainable growth.

The year also saw the completion of numerous road and bridge projects, highlighted by constructing roads spanning 138 lane-kilometres with nine flyovers to serve Expo 2020 Dubai. It opened model public bus stations, pedestrian bridges, and cycling tracks to transform Dubai into a bicycle-friendly city, which entails the provision of suitable options to encourage people to practice cycling.