RTA launches Garhoud Workshop for Marine Transit Means

Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of Roads and Transport Authority, RTA, in Dubai, has inaugurated Garhoud Workshop for Marine Transit Means. The total cost of the project amounted to AED42 million.

The facility spans an area of 5000 sqm and comprises 5 workshops, 3 stores, boat lifting crane, marine/external works area, admin offices, and staff rest area.

Al Tayer inspected the station's facilities and listened to a briefing from Ahmed Hashim Bahrozyan, CEO of Public Transport Agency, highlighting the technical specifications of the workshop, which is located nearby Al Garhoud Bridge. It contains a marina extending 250 metres and a dock capable of accommodating boats measuring up to 32 metres in length in addition to a boat lifting crane with a capacity of 100 tons. The facility hosts 5 different workshops and has a capacity to take 16 boats at a time.

The workshop is expected to provide maintenance services for about 198 marine transit modes and has a workforce of about 32 persons.

"Al Garhoud Workshop is the first RTA workshop dedicated to the service of marine transit means manufactured of fiberglass and their engines. It contributes to reducing maintenance cost by 20 percent, and steps up the quality of maintenance works and readiness of marine transit means by 100 percent, besides boosting the safety of abras plying the Dubai Creek," said Bahrozyan.

Al Tayer was briefed about the futuristic vision of the workshop including commercial uses for servicing some private yachts. Future studies will cover the virtual store and 3D printing of spare parts, plus the use of drones in moving spare parts between the workshop and marine transit modes. Consideration will also be given to using robots in cleaning the hull, applying artificial intelligence as part of smart periodic maintenance of boats, carrying out technical testing using submersible cameras, and the building of fiberglass boats measuring up to 18 metres in length.

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