Hamdan bin Mohammed reviews the rapid intervention vehicle, the smart bus station, and the flexible transportation parks

DUBAI, 26 APRIL / WAM / His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, and Chairman of the Executive Council of the Emirate of Dubai, confirmed that the qualitative initiatives and projects witnessed by the emirate in the transportation sector represent a practical translation of the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, may God protect him, which aims to consolidate Dubai’s position at the forefront of the world’s most important cities. Progress in adopting future solutions and implementing innovation on the ground.

His Highness said: “What we see today in terms of advanced projects is not just an infrastructure development, but rather a comprehensive redefinition of the concept of urban mobility in accordance with the highest international standards, and in a way that reflects Dubai’s ambition to be the city that is fastest in anticipating the future and most capable of turning it into a tangible reality. We work with a clear vision based on innovation as a business approach, and advanced technologies as a main tool for making a difference and achieving leadership.”

His Highness added: “We continue to support and accelerate the adoption of smart and sustainable solutions, in a way that enhances the system’s efficiency, multiplies its development impact, and ensures achieving the highest levels of quality of life for citizens, residents and visitors. We are also keen for Dubai to remain an advanced global model in designing future cities, and a leading platform for experimenting and applying the latest technology in the transportation sector.”

His Highness the Crown Prince of Dubai pointed out that “the initiatives implemented by the Roads and Transport Authority in Dubai reflect a firm commitment to enhancing the emirate’s readiness for the future, and consolidating its position as a global capital of innovation, and a first destination for developing and applying advanced solutions that serve people and support sustainable development.”

This came while His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum inspected a number of specific initiatives and projects implemented by the Roads and Transport Authority in Dubai, which included the rapid intervention vehicle, the smart bus station, and flexible transportation stops. His Highness listened to an explanation from His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority in Dubai, about the details of the three initiatives and their goals in enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of the transportation system.

This visit comes within the framework of His Highness’s keenness to follow up on the progress of government work, and direct field follow-up, to determine the readiness of strategic projects and the progress of their implementation according to their time and operational targets, in a way that ensures accelerating the pace of achievement, maximizing the development impact of the initiatives, and achieving the highest levels of quality of life for citizens, residents and visitors.

In the presence of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, Supreme Chairman and CEO of Emirates Airline and Group, His Highness reviewed the rapid intervention vehicle developed by the authority to enhance its readiness to respond to emergency situations and heavy rains, and to ensure the continuity of traffic movement. The vehicle is distinguished by advanced equipment that includes four pumps with a total capacity of about 60 thousand liters per minute, equivalent to the operating efficiency of 10 traditional pumps or 25. A water withdrawal tank. The water pumping speed reaches about 1,000 liters per second, with the ability to operate inside water pools up to a depth of 1.8 metres. The vehicle is superior to traditional mechanisms in terms of speed of operation and readiness, which allows immediate intervention, compared to mobile pumps that require advance preparation, and water withdrawal tanks that face challenges in reaching deep water pool sites.

The vehicle was equipped with an integrated system that includes a main pump that is controlled from inside the vehicle via a hydraulic system, three pump motors, and four main pumps, in addition to rain water hoses, a hose trailer, a rescue boat for evacuation operations, a thermal “drone” for field monitoring and evaluation, in addition to a backup generator to ensure continuity of operation, and a lighting tower to support operations in various circumstances.

The vehicle achieves a strategic impact by reducing the response time to water emergencies by more than 75%, raising the level of safety and protecting lives and property, ensuring the continuity of traffic and reducing disruption, in addition to consolidating Dubai’s leadership in developing smart solutions for emergency management and adaptation to climate change.

His Highness also viewed the smart bus station, which comes within the authority’s direction towards digital transformation and sustainability, as the authority has completed 90% of the project, and is expected to be completed at the end of this month. The station is located on Sheikh Zayed Road, in the Al Barsha 2 area, near the Mall of the Emirates. The station is distinguished by converting all customer services into contactless and paperless digital services, and integrating it with the “Nol” card and the “S’hail” application, to provide a smooth transportation experience. For passengers, in addition to providing it with solar panels to reduce energy consumption, cameras supported by artificial intelligence technologies to manage crowds and monitor violations, and smart sensors to monitor air quality, while applying Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED Platinum) standards, ensuring a comfortable, safe and sustainable experience for customers.

In the context of supporting sustainable mobility, His Highness reviewed the flexible transportation parking project, which aims to regulate the use of bicycles and electric scooters. The parking includes modern designs that provide shading and protection from the sun’s rays, a scooter charging feature, and smart systems to monitor usage, in addition to providing investment opportunities for advertising.

Based on the best practices applied in international cities, flexible transportation stops were provided at mass transit stations and major attraction points to ensure their integration with the mass transit system and enhance first- and last-mile trips.

The project comes in light of a remarkable growth in the use of bicycles by 23%, with the number of trips reaching 57.6 million trips in 2025, as a plan has been developed for the gradual expansion of the project, starting with trial operation in five locations during July 2026, leading to permanent operation in 2028.

His Excellency Mattar Al Tayer stressed that these initiatives reflect the Roads and Transport Authority’s keenness to keep pace with the latest global developments and employ advanced technologies in developing an integrated and sustainable transportation system that contributes to enhancing the quality of life and achieving the happiness of residents and visitors, and consolidates Dubai’s position as a leading global model in smart mobility. He pointed out that the Authority continues to innovate qualitative solutions that support the emirate’s readiness to face future challenges, and enhance its leadership in the areas of sustainability and advanced technologies.

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