Dubais growing road congestion may have no permanent solution, and the only answers lie in promoting public transport with tighter sanctions on car use.
That is the view of Mattar Mohammed Al Tayer, Assistant Director General for Roads and General Projects Affairs at Dubai Municipality, who spoke to Gulf News about the challenge of increasing volumes on Dubai roads.
While authorities are doing their best to expand public transport and improve the road network, they are also looking at more advanced ways of coping with the effects of further urbanisation.
Al Tayer said that this effort was being spearheaded by the introduction of an Intelligent Transport System of cameras and computers helping motorists steer clear of congestion before they start their journeys.
For motorists there is the hope of additional parking space being created in the form of multi-storey car parks. He believes practical solutions can help resolve the issue of congestion in Dubai.
Gulf News: Do you think that you are on the right track in solving traffic congestion around Dubai?Mattar Moham-med Al Tayer: There are no absolute solutions for eliminating traffic jams, as they are a well-known phenomenon in all the big cities of the world. But there are certain solutions available to us in order to reduce traffic jams, which include improving road networks and intersections, using modern traffic techniques such as signals-remote control, pre-paid parking and toll systems.
Other solutions to help reduce traffic jams include banning heavy vehicles from entering the centre of the city. Also, improving the public transport system, particularly because a lot of people are now using public transport instead of private vehicles. Increasing registration fees and fuel prices will also help reduce traffic jams.
What is the aim of the Live Traffic Update link on the Municipalitys website? Have many people used it since it was created?Its purpose is to help the drivers plan their journeys and avoid congestion. There is an increasing demand for this live traffic update as well as the other services the site offers.
Six more cameras are to be installed at important locations as part of the Live Traffic Update in the near future. Have these locations been chosen?The locations have been defined and they will soon be installed there.
Camera images are currently refreshed after every 30 seconds. Are there any plans to make the system even quicker so that the system can be used for other purposes, such as traffic violations or crimes?For the time being the current system is sufficient but in the near future the images will be refreshed continuously. At the moment they are used only for checking accidents and congestion and for monitoring traffic on the roads.
The municipality believes that relocating Al Hamriyah Vegetables and Fruit market will solve traffic jams on the main roads of Dubai and also on Al Ittihad Road. How will this be achieved?The move will reduce traffic jams by 10 per cent on roads near the market including Al Shindagha Tunnel, and Al Maktoum and Al Garhoud Bridges. It is estimated that at peak hours around five per cent of the total traffic in Dubai uses this area.
Are there any plans to build more roads between Dubai and Sharjah, in addition to the existing three connections?The municipality is carrying out a comprehensive study on Dubai roads to improve the situation. We see that there is a need for another road near Dubai Creek between Al Maktoum Bridge and Al Shindagha Tunnel. At least 18,000 vehicles cross Dubai creek at peak hours every day. We need nine lanes there to help reduce traffic.
The number of vehicles crossing the creek every hour is expected to rise to 35,000 in the next 15 years. They will need 16 lanes. The best solution is to have six lanes instead of the existing three. A new four-lane bypass is needed in the Al Jadaf area to reduce traffic jams. The expansion plan is expected to take place soon and the roads will be ready by 2008.
What is the Intelligent Transportation System and how will it improve things for motorists?The system will have an important role in improving safety and cutting congestion. The new ITS project in Dubai will cover all main highways such as Sheikh Zayed road and Ittihad road and there will be incident detection systems and variable message signs to inform the drivers about the status of the traffic ahead to help them change their routes if the road is jammed. This project is planned to be in operation within 20 months.
The Planning and Design of the Traffic Calming Project was implemented in Dubai last year at a cost of Dh1 million, and a software application called Expert System is its key component. What is the current status of that project? The project has two main features. The first is a Traffic Calming Manual for Dubai, which will work as a guide for planning the new communities and improving safety inside residential areas and school zones. The second is the expert system software, used by engineers to solve safety problems.
Does the department have any plans to solve the emerging problem of parking capacity?Yes, the department has a five-year implementation plan for solving this problem. The municipality is planning and building new multi-storey car parks (some have already been constructed). The roads department is also trying to solve the issue by increasing the paid zones to control parking spaces, reduce traffic congestion and air pollution.
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