ABU DHABI // Key transport initiatives set out by the Department of Transport yesterday include taxes on diesel and petrol, congestion charges and subsidies for alternative fuels.
The proposals for the department's integrated transport masterplan represent its favoured timetables over a series of five-year plans, with four deadlines that start in 2015 and end in 2030. Other ideas include vehicle taxes linked to emissions, the pedestrianisation of Hamdan Street and Saadiyat Island, abolition of fuel subsidies and levying charges on boats that pollute waterways. The scheme involves upgrades and new works projects for roads, waterways, tram, metro and international rail links to Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Precise timetables for each of the different elements has yet to be finalised but the five-year plans represent the department's "preferred" sequence. Preferred targets for 2015 A huge number of road building projects and upgrades will be undertaken, including the construction of multi-lane motorways linking Saadiyat to Shahama and the completion of the Salam Street tunnel. Speed limits will be cut from 60kph to 30kph in some residential zones as part of traffic calming measures designed to enhance pedestrian safety and reduce the number of accidents.
Metro lines will offer passengers travel between Abu Dhabi Island, the airport and the new Capital City District on Abu Dhabi mainland. A loop service will also link Saadiyat Island with Marina Mall. A total of 12 tram network loops will be unveiled allowing movement between Yas Island and Raha Beach and the bus station, Abu Dhabi Mall and Mina Zayed. Dedicated bus lanes will be introduced while taxi services will be streamlined with a review of the number of taxis in service. People will also be able to receive travel information direct to their mobile phones.
There are plans to operate air conditioned walkways, bus shelters and tram stations, and ferry services will run between the capital and Dubai. Preferred targets for 2020 It is envisaged that Hamdan Street and Saadiyat Island will become car-free zones and that the Government will abolish fuel subsidies to encourage the use of public transport. Large scale "parking barns" will be built near pedestrian zones, with valet-operated park-and-ride sites on the outskirts of the city.
The tram network will be extended to offer trips to Lulu Island, Khalidiyah Mall, the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre and the Central Market. Fees will be introduced for boat emissions while dhows will run trips from the capital to islands around the coast. New roadways will be constructed and further upgrades made to existing routes to allow travel between Reem Island, Saadiyat and Abu Dhabi.
Stronger enforcement measures will be implemented to discourage illegal parking. Comprehensive computer systems will be introduced to provide people with constantly updated travel information. Preferred targets for 2025 Planners hope to introduce parking charges linked to the fuel efficiency of vehicles and a system to allow drivers to pay car park fees via their mobile telephones. Some traffic lights will be modified to give priority to pedestrians.
Tram networks will be improved with the opening of an additional five routes, providing services between south Hodariyat-Musaffah-Capital City and Capital City-universities-Sports hub. Other routes will allow travel to the Mafraq Labour Camp. An express metro service to Abu Dhabi International Airport will be opened, and trains will start shuttling between Capital City, Dubai, Ghantoot and Shahama.
There are also plans to launch high-speed rail services between Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. Resurfacing work will be carried out to replace existing road surfaces with low-noise materials, and special barriers will be installed to reduce noise further. Preferred targets for 2030 The boldest proposals are included in the final stage of the Department of Transport's plan. According to the department's current estimates, the city's population will reach more than three million by 2030 and it believes that a range of radical measures will be needed to persuade people to abandon their cars in favour of public transport. These will include a series of taxes on diesel and petrol and further vehicle taxation linked to the levels of exhaust emissions produced by road vehicles.
Congestion charging could be introduced in Abu Dhabi Island's central business district and the new Capital City District, while tolls could be put into effect on roads connecting the mainland to the island. Drivers could be offered subsidies to swap their petrol and diesel cars for ones that run on alternative fuels. There are even plans to build developments where only electric cars will be allowed.
A train line offering direct travel between Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia and Qatar could be built, and there are plans to construct two tunnels on Electra Street at its junctions with Fourth Street and Sixth Street. chamilton@thenational.ae
