Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority, RTA, has signed a contract for buying 373 Volvo SB3 with a ten-year upkeep contract in the guide of Dubai’s mobility plan to deal with the rising wide variety of public bus riders.
The new buses comply with Euro 6 requirements, and it will likely be the first time buses of such general can be operated in the MENA area. The signing of the agreement, which amounts to AED474 million, occurred on the sidelines of the UITP Summit in the Swedish capital, Stockholm.
Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors, RTA, and Hakan Agnevall, President of Volvo Bus Corporation, signed the settlement in the presence of representatives from each entity.
“Procuring these new buses is part of RTA’s approach to improve Dubai’s public transport services inside the Emirate and meet the sustained growth of public transport riders. It serves RTA’s efforts to raise the percentage of public transport ridership to 26% by 2030. We firmly consider that reaching this target hinges on imparting super public transport offerings at less expensive fares, increasing the geographical insurance of public shipping network, and boosting the integration of mass transit modes,” stated Al Tayer.
“The settlement covers the procurement of 373 pinnacle-elegance excessive-safety Volvo buses equipped with Euro 6 environmental-pleasant engines capable of helping future technology and improvements. These buses fall under the UN Class II Vehicle classification, which permits working buses on inter-metropolis routes or lengthy hauls. Buses are compliant with ITxPT device that allows interoperability among IT structures in public transport, thanks to the provision of bus information database saved within the UAE (UAE Cloud),” said Al Tayer.
Each bus can accommodate seventy-four riders and is equipped with interactive touch monitors to display quick facts about the journey. Coaches are also fitted with the Raqeeb (Driver Behaviour Monitoring) System to song drivers’ exhaustion. They additionally have a Rasid (Automated Passenger Counting) System to document the number of passengers and shape it with the Automated Fare Collection System to abort fare evasion attempts.
