Dubai Tram Is Almost 93% Complete- RTA

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced that work on the Dubai Tram project is almost 93 per cent complete, state news agency WAM reported.

The work on the tramway’s stations are almost complete putting the project on track for completion by November, RTA’s executive director and chairman Mattar Al Tayer said during a site tour to inspect work on the Dubai Tram.

Al Tayer also visited the tram depot, which comprise of 11 buildings that can house around 25 trams.

The depot includes a control centre for the rail operations which verifies the safety of doors, brakes and motors of each tram in addition to air-conditioners along with other sophisticated ancillary electronic systems, maintenance workshops and washing and cleaning workshops, WAM reported.

Earlier this year, officials issued new regulations to oversee tram operations, which also listed punishable traffic violations around the tram.

Fines for traffic offenders range from Dhs2,000 to Dhs30,000 with a possibility of their driver’s license being revoked for a temporary period.

The RTA is also setting up a fence for pedestrians throughout the tramway to avoid accidents, and signalised crossings will be provided near all the tram stations.

Six footbridges will be provided, including four new bridges to be constructed at certain stations as per the approved plans and specifications, the public transports agency said last year.

Elevated pavements have also been designed to fend off vehicles crossing into the tramway, and protective rail will be set up around all the stations.

The Dubai Tram, which began its first trial run on January 26, is scheduled to start operations in November 2014.

In the first phase, 11 trains, covering a distance of 10.6km, will serve 11 stations.

In the second phase, another four kilometres of tramway will be added, while a total of 25 trams will be served by 17 stations. The system is expected to carry 66,000 commuters per day in 2020.