Your guide to travelling by car in Dubai on New Year's Eve

If anything has become clear from the repeated recommendations of the Road and Transport Authority (RTA) on getting around in Dubai on New Year’s Eve, it is that traveling by car is not a preferred option.

Besides sending out messages that public transport should be used instead, the RTA has taken several measures to regulate the movement of vehicles in the main event areas.

As part of the Traffic Master Plan, two areas -- Downtown Dubai and Palm Jumeirah Island -- will have restricted access, both being event areas.

Access to the area around Burj Khalifa will be restricted for traffic from 8pm, said Hussein Al Banna, Director of the Traffic Department of RTA. Some exits will be completely closed while others will remain open providing access to parking lots.

“Access to these entry roads will depend on the situation. From 8pm onwards, we will monitor the parking areas. When a parking space is filled, the access road leading to it will be closed,” said Al Banna.

An additional 13,500 parking slots have been made available in the event area --  8,000 at Meydan, 2,500 at the World Trade Centre, 1,500 at Residency & Foreigners Affairs Department at Jafliya and 1,500 slots at Zaabeel Park.

Signs are being set up to show the way to alternative parking and direct the traffic to the internal road network at Business Bay to access Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Khail Road to ease the pressure on Financial Centre Road.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard will be closed for traffic from 8pm as the street is one of areas reserved for watching the fireworks on Burj Khalifa.

Meanwhile, the median on Sheikh Zayed Road at the height of Business Bay and Burj Khalifa has been temporarily increased in height to prevent people from jaywalking.

“Last year people crossed Sheikh Zayed Road on foot, jumping over the fence and in some cases breaking it. We have increased the height of the fence to 1.6 metres and a police patrol will be guarding the fence along the entire strip in order to prevent people from crossing the road,” Al Banna said, adding that jaywalkers will be fined Dh200.

On the other side of town, where Palm Jumeirah Island is the centrepoint of the New Year’s festivities, access to the Palm will be denied for all vehicles from 10pm onwards.

From 8am, access will be limited to pass holders, taxis and shuttle buses only, while only RTA taxis and shuttle buses will be permitted access after pm. From 10pm, all access will be blocked.

However, in the area around the Palm, traffic will not be restricted to further road closures or diversions, said Al Banna. Traffic on Sufouh Road and Sheikh Zayed Road will be permitted access as usual. There will be minor traffic measures on Jumeirah Beach Road to better manage traffic to night, he added.

Dubai Police has warned that parking in the middle of of the roads to see the fireworks will be strictly forbidden and penalised with instant locking of wheels. These cars will also be impounded for three to six months.

More than 150 traffic police officers will be deployed in Deira and Bur Dubai. There will be more traffic police on main roads and celebration areas.  There will be immediate action against anyone who causes chaos, noise or obstruction of traffic.

 

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