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29 March 2024

Dubai ready for biggest celebration of 2012: Police set-up special task force

The Dubai Police special task-force meeting to oversee security preparations for the New Year's eve celebrations in the emirate. (SUPPLIED)

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Dubai Police have a special task force in place to ensure a peaceful New Year's Eve celebration in the emirate.

Major General Mohammad Eid Al Mansouri, Director, Security, Enterprises and Emergencies, Dubai Police, and Deputy Chairman of the task-force stressed during a meeting yesterday the importance of today, which sees a greater number of visitors in Dubai each year, adding to the security and organisational challenges

“Congestion is a big challenge as it paralyses the emirate and our aim is to prevent this,” he said.

He called for the cooperation of everyone and stressed the need for continuous communication between all security agencies.

Attending the meeting were Brigadier Ahmed Obaid Al Sayegh, Assistant Director General of Civil Defence, Dubai, Ahmed Thani Al Matrooshi, Managing Director of Emaar Properties, Brigadier General Ahmad Khalfan Al Mansouri, Director of Emergency, Colonel Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Director of Security and Protection, as well as other members of public departments including Dubai Health Authority, Roads and Transport Authority, Dubai Ambulance Services and representatives from Serco, operator of the Dubai Metro.

Major General Al Mansouri appealed to the public to take into account security and safety conditions and follow the signs in all areas, especially near Sheikh Mohammed  Bin Rashid Boulevard, Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall and Souk Al Bahar.

He appealed to road users to use main exits on Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Khail Road, to facilitate traffic flow and to parking only in designated areas.

The public transport plan

The team responsible for Traffic Management and Handling of Operational Plans During Official & Annual Events at the Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has put the final touches on a comprehensive plan for managing vehicular traffic on the eve of the New Year; which is poised to witness huge traffic movement, particularly in the vicinity of Burj Khalifa.

Maitha bin Udai, CEO of RTA Traffic & Roads Agency cum Head of Traffic Management & Handling of Operational Plans During Official & Annual Events Team at the RTA, revealed that the Team has prepared all procedures required to ease the traffic movement in the neighborhood of Burj Khalifa during the New Year celebrations.

“The traffic plan in place entails the provision of additional parking spaces, installation of directional signage, 24-hour operation of the metro, deployment of additional & feeder bus service, provision of bus-dedicated lanes, and addressing the needs of taxicabs,” she said. 

“The team has managed to provide 10,000 additional parking slots near the events venue including 2,000 parking spaces at the Trade Center, and 8,000 parking spaces at Meydan, while deploying shuttle bus service to lift the public to the events venue.

“15 members of the team will be deployed in the surroundings of Burj Khalifa to monitor the implementation of the Plan and carry out necessary modifications in cooperation with the Dubai Police and Emaar Company. The metro will be operating round-the- clock and the number of passengers is expected to hit 132 thousand.

“The traffic signals control rooms will monitor the traffic movement in the area and the Team will direct the traffic as dictated by the density of vehicular traffic at the intersections and streets in the vicinity of Burj Khalifa. The Virtual Messaging Signs will also help direct road users to suitable alternative roads,” added Maitha.

She called on the public to use the Metro and public buses rather than private vehicles, particularly during events held in Dubai such as the Eve of the New Year’s festivities.

For his part, Ahmed Mohammed Al Hammadi, Director of Buses, Public Transport Agency and Head of the Team Responsible for Dealing with Public Transport Systems, Metro and Taxis during Official and Annual Events, said that fare gates of four metro stations will be open for the public without requiring the user to swipe the Nol card on the ticket validation machine provided that the Nol card will be swiped and fares will be deducted on exiting the final station for each user in order to ease off entering the stations near the celebration venue.

“So, the Nol card will have to be swiped on fare gates at the time of exiting the stations, which are located within the same faring zone, depending on  entering them. Consequently, the fares deduction will be identical to the faring schedule. These stations are: Business Bay, Burj Khalifa Dubai Mall, Financial Center and Emirates Towers,” he explained.

“Three different types of public bus service will be run namely; the Metro feeder service, night service and the Park and Ride service to shuttle passengers from the parking areas. Metro feeder buses operate on the following routes: From Burj Khalifa Dubai Mall metro station to Dubai Mall, and the service will run at 3 minutes headway during peak times using standard buses.

From the Business Bay Metro station to Burj Khalifa Dubai Mall metro stations where passengers can use the Metro Sky Link to access the Dubai Mall at 5 minutes headway during peak time using standard buses as well. From the World Trade Center metro station to Burj Khalifa Dubai Metro Station at 5-minutes headway during peak time also using standard buses.

Park and Ride

“The Park and Ride service for shuttling visitors from car parks will run on the following routes: from the parking lot of Meydan to bus parking area at the back of the Dubai Mall at 20 minutes headway during peak time using standard buses, from the World Trade Center parking lot to bus parking area at the back of the Dubai Mall at 10 minutes headway during peak time using standard buses, and from the parking space of Zaabeel Park to the bus parking area at the back of the Dubai Mall at 10 minutes headway during peak time using standard buses,” elaborated Al Hammadi.

Night bus

About the night bus service, Al Hammadi said: “This service covers the following routes: From the parking space at the back of the Dubai Mall to Ibn Battuta metro station at 10 minutes headway during peak time using standard buses, from the parking space at the back of the Dubai Mall to Rashidiya Metro station at 10 minutes headway during peak time using standard buses, and from the parking space at the back of the Dubai Mall to Burjuman Metro station / Ghubaiba Metro station at 10 minutes headway during peak time using standard buses.