A problem that shouldn't have happened, no information for those affected, waffle that insults our intelligence from the official spokesman.
Situation normal then.
The Metro had another technical fault yesterday, this time to do with the signals the trains send back to the computer, so trains were stopped on most of the system for three to four hours.
Inevitably, passengers complain that they were given no information, had no idea what was happening, they were just shuttled about on buses.
Lack of communication is exactly what I complained about last week, when the Metro's last 'technical issue' inconvenienced passengers but they were told nothing.
Seven new stations were opened on Friday and additional trains were added. You'd assume that it would all be tested and any problems fixed before the public was invited to use it. Yet it all ground to a halt during peak time.
But according to Pehyman Younes Parham, Director of Marketing and Communication for the RTA, such technical issues are normal and to be expected.
Oh really.
It's just the same old comment that's been used before, an insult to our intelligence repeated yet again to explain away a problem that should not have occurred.
Last week's technical issues were to be expected too, according to Mr Parham after that episode.
I realise it's alien thinking to companies here but what I think should be 'normal and to be expected' is that technical issues are all sorted out before something is opened to the public.
The Metro system is closed for seven hours during weekday nights and for fifteen hours Thursay/Friday. Time enough, I would have thought, for the necessary testing to be carried out, any glitches fixed and the system running efficiently before the public was encouraged to use the new stations and extra trains.
I've always thought that the worst thing any company can do is set the bar for achievement so low that the target is 'we're no worse than anyone else'. I was reminded of this during Mr Parham's interview on DubaiEye radio this morning.
He began by saying that the Metro has been benchmarked against other similar systems around the world and guess what - we're no worse than them.
That's OK then, if that's the lofty goal that's been set.
Then the old 'it's to be expected' excuse was trotted out yet again to explain away the problem.
On behalf of several listeners who complained about the total lack of communication he was asked what the RTA had done to tell inconvenienced passengers what was going on. He took the time-honoured route and ignored the question, waffling on about something entirely different for a couple of minutes.
In true UAE journalistic style the question wasn't repeated and he wasn't pushed for an answer.
The answer I suppose comes from the passengers - nothing was done to tell them what was going on.
True to the Dubai customer service ethic, something is opened before it's ready, infuriated customers are given no information at the time they're being inconvenienced, then are later told it's all perfectly normal.
Gulf News has the report here.
Showing posts with label RTA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label RTA. Show all posts
Sunday, May 02, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
Getting the easiest part wrong
I never cease to be amazed that the simplest part of any problem is so consistently mishandled by companies.
It's always been the same, they never learn and I don't expect they ever will.
The easiest part is communication.
Tell the people affected what the problem is, what you're doing to correct it and, if possible, when you expect the problem to be rectified and service back to normal.
How hard is that?
For some inexplicable reason it's so hard it's impossible.
We've had it throughout the volcano ash cloud chaos, the biggest complaint from people, as always, is the lack of communication, lack of information.
Dubai's Metro is at it again too.
Passengers using the Dubai Metro once again faced delays yesterday following a disruption, which was not explained by the Metro operators.
However, what frustrated the passengers the most were confusing announcements made inside the trains and by ill-informed staff at the stations.
Situation perfectly normal then.
Metro operations remained suspended once again for around 50 minutes after 12:15pm on Sunday and then around 3pm while passengers wondered what had happened.
Leaving passengers stranded with no information makes it impossible for them to know what to do. Do they stay in the station and wait for an unknown amount of time or do they make other arrangements to get to their destination?
They can't make the decision thanks to the lack of communication from the Metro operators. Even worse, they're getting the usual 'five minutes' rubbish from staff.
How many times have I been told 'five minutes', or 'take a seat, coming'. It's just a way of getting rid of you, to stop you pestering them.
It's typical too of the 'customer service' we've come to expect. Take your money and that's it, nothing after that is of any concern to the company.
The problem was later explained with the usual platitudes.
A Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) spokesperson said that technical issues were behind the slight disruptions.
"We are preparing to add more trains with the opening of new stations from April 30" said Peyman Younes Parham, director of marketing and communication at the RTA.
"Techical issues are being sorted out, especially regarding the train headways and waiting time of passengers and this has led to some delays. It is quite normal when you add more services on a running track."
Why didn't you tell your passengers that? Why weren't your staff briefed? Did it happen unexpectedly - your statement 'it's perfectly normal' indicates it didn't? So why no advance notice?
If it was unexpected, why wasn't information put on the electronic boards and the public announcement system?
The story's here.
It's always been the same, they never learn and I don't expect they ever will.
The easiest part is communication.
Tell the people affected what the problem is, what you're doing to correct it and, if possible, when you expect the problem to be rectified and service back to normal.
How hard is that?
For some inexplicable reason it's so hard it's impossible.
We've had it throughout the volcano ash cloud chaos, the biggest complaint from people, as always, is the lack of communication, lack of information.
Dubai's Metro is at it again too.
Passengers using the Dubai Metro once again faced delays yesterday following a disruption, which was not explained by the Metro operators.
However, what frustrated the passengers the most were confusing announcements made inside the trains and by ill-informed staff at the stations.
Situation perfectly normal then.
Metro operations remained suspended once again for around 50 minutes after 12:15pm on Sunday and then around 3pm while passengers wondered what had happened.
Leaving passengers stranded with no information makes it impossible for them to know what to do. Do they stay in the station and wait for an unknown amount of time or do they make other arrangements to get to their destination?
They can't make the decision thanks to the lack of communication from the Metro operators. Even worse, they're getting the usual 'five minutes' rubbish from staff.
How many times have I been told 'five minutes', or 'take a seat, coming'. It's just a way of getting rid of you, to stop you pestering them.
It's typical too of the 'customer service' we've come to expect. Take your money and that's it, nothing after that is of any concern to the company.
The problem was later explained with the usual platitudes.
A Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) spokesperson said that technical issues were behind the slight disruptions.
"We are preparing to add more trains with the opening of new stations from April 30" said Peyman Younes Parham, director of marketing and communication at the RTA.
"Techical issues are being sorted out, especially regarding the train headways and waiting time of passengers and this has led to some delays. It is quite normal when you add more services on a running track."
Why didn't you tell your passengers that? Why weren't your staff briefed? Did it happen unexpectedly - your statement 'it's perfectly normal' indicates it didn't? So why no advance notice?
If it was unexpected, why wasn't information put on the electronic boards and the public announcement system?
The story's here.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Bus lanes - this'll be fun
Our beloved RTA has announced that Dubai will start having dedicated bus lanes from May.
They will be exclusively for public buses, taxis and emergency vehicles.
According to Mattar Al Tayer, the RTA boss:
"The project will...minimise the demand for parking spaces at congested spots, reduce the environmental pollution rates caused by private vehicle exhausts and decrease the number of road accidents."
Hmmmm....
Some of us come from cities which have had bus lanes for years but many others come from cities where there's no traffic discipline at all. The RTA says there'll be an education campaign for a couple of weeks. If there is, if it's understandable, if it reaches all drivers regardless of their language - I'm still sceptical that it'll work.
For the morons who scream along the hard shoulder whenever there's a jam the bus lanes will just provide another way to push in front. I bet drivers of private buses will use them too.
There's apparently going to be a Dh600 fine, but for the people who rack up tens of thousands of dirhams in fines anyway that won't be a deterrent. Nor will it be for those who don't bother to pay their fines and simply don't re-register their vehicles.
I also have serious doubts about the planning of it. While there's a 3.6km stretch and another of 1.4km, there's another of only 320 metres and, even worse, one of just 220 metres.
So to avoid the short bus lane private vehicles will suddenly have to push into the next lane, then they'll move back again after a couple of seconds when the bus lane ends. Or they'll ignore the signs and carry on in the bus lane anyway.
Details are in The National.
They will be exclusively for public buses, taxis and emergency vehicles.
According to Mattar Al Tayer, the RTA boss:
"The project will...minimise the demand for parking spaces at congested spots, reduce the environmental pollution rates caused by private vehicle exhausts and decrease the number of road accidents."
Hmmmm....
Some of us come from cities which have had bus lanes for years but many others come from cities where there's no traffic discipline at all. The RTA says there'll be an education campaign for a couple of weeks. If there is, if it's understandable, if it reaches all drivers regardless of their language - I'm still sceptical that it'll work.
For the morons who scream along the hard shoulder whenever there's a jam the bus lanes will just provide another way to push in front. I bet drivers of private buses will use them too.
There's apparently going to be a Dh600 fine, but for the people who rack up tens of thousands of dirhams in fines anyway that won't be a deterrent. Nor will it be for those who don't bother to pay their fines and simply don't re-register their vehicles.
I also have serious doubts about the planning of it. While there's a 3.6km stretch and another of 1.4km, there's another of only 320 metres and, even worse, one of just 220 metres.
So to avoid the short bus lane private vehicles will suddenly have to push into the next lane, then they'll move back again after a couple of seconds when the bus lane ends. Or they'll ignore the signs and carry on in the bus lane anyway.
Details are in The National.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Metro completion delayed again
While it's clear that work has been continuing on the Metro, you can see workers on the stations and bridges along the Red Line, it's obvious that they're way behind with completion.
Now the official word is that the opening of the remaining eighteen stations has been put back, with seven due to open on April 25 and the final eleven opening 'in phases' on unspecified dates.
I think most of the seven new stations will encourage more people to use the Metro because of their convenient locations. They're at Ibn Battutu, Dubai Marina, World Trade Centre, Karama and Terminal 1 at the airport, plus the stupidly named GGICO Station (Al Garhoud) and Emirates Station (which people will confuse with Termnal 3 I'm sure).
Mrs Seabee had to go to Terminal 3 last week at peak traffic time so she decided to take her first trip on the Metro. Taxi to MoE station from her office in Knowledge Village, Metro from there right into the terminal. Quicker, easier, less stressful than driving, quicker and cheaper than a taxi all the way so she gave it a thumbs up.
As for the Green Line opening, that's been put back yet again, this time to August 2011.
Gulf News has the story here.
Now the official word is that the opening of the remaining eighteen stations has been put back, with seven due to open on April 25 and the final eleven opening 'in phases' on unspecified dates.
I think most of the seven new stations will encourage more people to use the Metro because of their convenient locations. They're at Ibn Battutu, Dubai Marina, World Trade Centre, Karama and Terminal 1 at the airport, plus the stupidly named GGICO Station (Al Garhoud) and Emirates Station (which people will confuse with Termnal 3 I'm sure).
Mrs Seabee had to go to Terminal 3 last week at peak traffic time so she decided to take her first trip on the Metro. Taxi to MoE station from her office in Knowledge Village, Metro from there right into the terminal. Quicker, easier, less stressful than driving, quicker and cheaper than a taxi all the way so she gave it a thumbs up.
As for the Green Line opening, that's been put back yet again, this time to August 2011.
Gulf News has the story here.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Surprise! The rumours are wrong
Dubai has a much more active rumour mill than anywhere else I've lived. It's always been the same and many of the rumours are simply recycled old ones.
For example, I remember when the Trade Centre opened there were rumours that it was falling over. And the then-new Shindagah Tunnel was about to collapse. Both are still there, in good order, so the same rumours have been transferred to new projects.
There are two current persistent rumours that I can shoot down, relating to the Al Sufouh Tram and the Metro stations.
First the tram. Rumour has it that the RTA has run out of money so work on the tram system has stopped and thousands of workers have been sent home.
In fact the work is continuing as before.
Every day I see trucks delivering concrete parts for the elevated section, which is being completed at a fast pace...
Then the Metro. Word is that the contractor has stopped work on all the stations as he hasn't been paid.
In fact work is continuing as normal...
For example, I remember when the Trade Centre opened there were rumours that it was falling over. And the then-new Shindagah Tunnel was about to collapse. Both are still there, in good order, so the same rumours have been transferred to new projects.
There are two current persistent rumours that I can shoot down, relating to the Al Sufouh Tram and the Metro stations.
First the tram. Rumour has it that the RTA has run out of money so work on the tram system has stopped and thousands of workers have been sent home.
In fact the work is continuing as before.
Every day I see trucks delivering concrete parts for the elevated section, which is being completed at a fast pace...
Then the Metro. Word is that the contractor has stopped work on all the stations as he hasn't been paid.
In fact work is continuing as normal...
Monday, November 23, 2009
Dubai's road deaths down
I've noted in a few posts that, although there are still plenty of morons out there, road behaviour generally seems to be improving in Dubai.
That seems to be supported by RTA figures for 2008 which show that road deaths are down for the first time in eight years. Speed is a major factor in fatalities and I've noticed a definite slowing down since, for example, Sheikh Zayed Road's limit was reduced to 100kph.
Sadly there were 157 unnecessary deaths caused by road crashes last year, but that's better than the 180 killed in 2007.
On SZR, where the speed limit was reduced from 120kph to 100kph, the stretch between between Defence Roundabout and Interchange 5 had a dramatic drop in fatalities, down from 29 in 2007 to 10 last year.
Speed is a factor in crashes in general but it isn't just the reduction of speed limits that have helped to reduce the danger on our roads, it's much more complicated than that, as Maitha bin Udai, CEO of Traffic & Roads Agency, said.
I've noticed not only a reduction in speed but also, for example, far fewer people driving along the hard shoulder, far fewer driving aggressively and forcing their way in. That's not down to speed limits but to less frustration with log-jammed traffic. A frustrated driver is a dangerous driver. The improvement in traffic flow is thanks to the opening of so many new roads and intersections plus the slightly fewer vehicles on the roads.
There's a long way to go but at least the figures are going in the right direction at long last.
Gulf News has the story here.
That seems to be supported by RTA figures for 2008 which show that road deaths are down for the first time in eight years. Speed is a major factor in fatalities and I've noticed a definite slowing down since, for example, Sheikh Zayed Road's limit was reduced to 100kph.
Sadly there were 157 unnecessary deaths caused by road crashes last year, but that's better than the 180 killed in 2007.
On SZR, where the speed limit was reduced from 120kph to 100kph, the stretch between between Defence Roundabout and Interchange 5 had a dramatic drop in fatalities, down from 29 in 2007 to 10 last year.
Speed is a factor in crashes in general but it isn't just the reduction of speed limits that have helped to reduce the danger on our roads, it's much more complicated than that, as Maitha bin Udai, CEO of Traffic & Roads Agency, said.
I've noticed not only a reduction in speed but also, for example, far fewer people driving along the hard shoulder, far fewer driving aggressively and forcing their way in. That's not down to speed limits but to less frustration with log-jammed traffic. A frustrated driver is a dangerous driver. The improvement in traffic flow is thanks to the opening of so many new roads and intersections plus the slightly fewer vehicles on the roads.
There's a long way to go but at least the figures are going in the right direction at long last.
Gulf News has the story here.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Thumbs up for the Metro
A visit to Deira was in the diary this morning and I decided to go by Metro.
It's not a novelty for me, I've used the equivalent in other cities all my life but I can understand the excitement for people who haven't experienced it.
For me it works if it gets me from A to B conveniently, easily, comfortably and gives value for money.
Credit where credit's due, the Metro ticked all the boxes.
I was also going to Mall of theEmirates so that solved one of the potential problems, getting to and parking at a station. I parked at MoE and walked through the mall to the station. I was only going to be a couple of hours so the parking was free.
In the station the ticket counter was closed but a staff member, an Emirati lady, was on hand and directed me to the Information counter, which was issuing tickets.
The current ten minutes between trains isn't too bad and I waited only a couple of minutes. Train wasn't crowded, they're clean, modern and comfortable;
The big plus is sailing along SZR relaxing and watching the motorists. Not jammed at 10am but the Defence and Trade Centre roundabouts, and of course the city itself, were very busy. The Metro is a hell of a lot less stressful.
The ride isn't the roller coaster the track suggests it will be, in fact you're hardly aware of all the ups and downs.
I forgot to time it but I guess I was in to Union/Ittihad Station in about twenty minutes. Much less than in the car, no parking problems and much more relaxing than driving.
Coming back, again the ticket office was closed - is that a cost-cutting measure I wonder? I was directed to the ticket machines, by an Emirati male staff member, who talked me through the steps. Actually it's easy enough and the how-to-use information is clear and good.
A couple of other ticks - the trains have a visual and voice information system which tells you the name of the next station, the information signage at the stations is clear, the stations have good clear local area maps - or at least there's one at Union Station so I assume the others also have them.
The staff were on hand and helpful, and it was interesting to see Emiratis in such non-executive positions, which goes against the general view of the jobs they will do.
A problem I can see in future when all the stations are open is the time a journey will take. The stations are very close together - I took this shot as we pulled into one station and the previous, currently not open, station is very close:
But that aside, it works very well and it'll certainly be my preferred transport if it goes where I need to go.
I have visitors coming in to T3 and I'd be tempted to meet them and bring them back on the Metro rather than driving - but bizarrely you can't take luggage onto the train. There's not a lot of point having a train servicing an airport if luggage isn't allowed on it.
So, there are a few things to be looked at but overall they seem to have done well.
It's not a novelty for me, I've used the equivalent in other cities all my life but I can understand the excitement for people who haven't experienced it.
For me it works if it gets me from A to B conveniently, easily, comfortably and gives value for money.
Credit where credit's due, the Metro ticked all the boxes.
I was also going to Mall of theEmirates so that solved one of the potential problems, getting to and parking at a station. I parked at MoE and walked through the mall to the station. I was only going to be a couple of hours so the parking was free.
In the station the ticket counter was closed but a staff member, an Emirati lady, was on hand and directed me to the Information counter, which was issuing tickets.
The current ten minutes between trains isn't too bad and I waited only a couple of minutes. Train wasn't crowded, they're clean, modern and comfortable;
The big plus is sailing along SZR relaxing and watching the motorists. Not jammed at 10am but the Defence and Trade Centre roundabouts, and of course the city itself, were very busy. The Metro is a hell of a lot less stressful.
The ride isn't the roller coaster the track suggests it will be, in fact you're hardly aware of all the ups and downs.
I forgot to time it but I guess I was in to Union/Ittihad Station in about twenty minutes. Much less than in the car, no parking problems and much more relaxing than driving.
Coming back, again the ticket office was closed - is that a cost-cutting measure I wonder? I was directed to the ticket machines, by an Emirati male staff member, who talked me through the steps. Actually it's easy enough and the how-to-use information is clear and good.
A couple of other ticks - the trains have a visual and voice information system which tells you the name of the next station, the information signage at the stations is clear, the stations have good clear local area maps - or at least there's one at Union Station so I assume the others also have them.
The staff were on hand and helpful, and it was interesting to see Emiratis in such non-executive positions, which goes against the general view of the jobs they will do.
A problem I can see in future when all the stations are open is the time a journey will take. The stations are very close together - I took this shot as we pulled into one station and the previous, currently not open, station is very close:
But that aside, it works very well and it'll certainly be my preferred transport if it goes where I need to go.
I have visitors coming in to T3 and I'd be tempted to meet them and bring them back on the Metro rather than driving - but bizarrely you can't take luggage onto the train. There's not a lot of point having a train servicing an airport if luggage isn't allowed on it.
So, there are a few things to be looked at but overall they seem to have done well.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Ready for more chaos?
Our beloved RTA has announced even more chaos on the roads roadworks.
It's all very necessary, it's good for the future and it'll be great when the work is finished...but for those of us here now it means more chaos on critical roads, more delays, probably terminal construction fatigue.
The two areas which will make life more difficult for me are Trade Centre Roundabout, which is being replaced with flyovers and 'signalised intersection', and Al Wasl Road on which the traffic intersections will be replaced with underpasses.
I know we need it, I complain about the traffic bottlenecks on Al Wasl Road every time I'm stuck in them, which is often.
Here's a drawing of what the four Al Wasl Road intersections will become:
They say the construction schedule will be announced shortly but I can't see it taking less than a year at the very least. Beach Road will be a whole lot of fun to drive along while this is going on!
I wonder whether the completion of the Creek extension across Al Wasl Road will be done at the same time? Wouldn't it be a relief to have it all finished and out of the way in one hit rather than a year's chaos for the intersection work followed by another year of chaos for the Creek work.
It's all very necessary, it's good for the future and it'll be great when the work is finished...but for those of us here now it means more chaos on critical roads, more delays, probably terminal construction fatigue.
The two areas which will make life more difficult for me are Trade Centre Roundabout, which is being replaced with flyovers and 'signalised intersection', and Al Wasl Road on which the traffic intersections will be replaced with underpasses.
I know we need it, I complain about the traffic bottlenecks on Al Wasl Road every time I'm stuck in them, which is often.
Here's a drawing of what the four Al Wasl Road intersections will become:
They say the construction schedule will be announced shortly but I can't see it taking less than a year at the very least. Beach Road will be a whole lot of fun to drive along while this is going on!
I wonder whether the completion of the Creek extension across Al Wasl Road will be done at the same time? Wouldn't it be a relief to have it all finished and out of the way in one hit rather than a year's chaos for the intersection work followed by another year of chaos for the Creek work.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
"Return to Dubai Airport Free Zone Authority Station please"
Snappy name isn't it, for one of the Metro stations.
What about Sharaf DG Station.
And GGICO Station.
Mr Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA, is quoted as saying these are: "...national projects and will preserve the national identity. We will not give up the national identity for money."
Just so.
The fascinating list of station names is in the Gulf News story, here.
What about Sharaf DG Station.
And GGICO Station.
Mr Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA, is quoted as saying these are: "...national projects and will preserve the national identity. We will not give up the national identity for money."
Just so.
The fascinating list of station names is in the Gulf News story, here.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Ads add to jams
One thing the RTA could do to ease drivers' inconvenience is to ban the convoys of mobile advertisements which add to the congestion on our roads.
Three of them have been cruising around New Dubai in recent days - I got stuck behind this one when he peeled off from the other two to have a break.
Another thing they could do is to stop the street sweeping trucks from clogging up the roads during peak hours. There's one regularly around Al Sufouh Road near the Tecom area during the morning peak traffic. It crawls along the inside lane, as it must, effectively preventing traffic from using that lane and forcing it to merge into other heavily congested lanes.
The RTA website says Customer Centricity and their vision is Safe and Smooth Transport for all. That would be helped by the removal of these two little unnecessary irritations.
Three of them have been cruising around New Dubai in recent days - I got stuck behind this one when he peeled off from the other two to have a break.
Another thing they could do is to stop the street sweeping trucks from clogging up the roads during peak hours. There's one regularly around Al Sufouh Road near the Tecom area during the morning peak traffic. It crawls along the inside lane, as it must, effectively preventing traffic from using that lane and forcing it to merge into other heavily congested lanes.
The RTA website says Customer Centricity and their vision is Safe and Smooth Transport for all. That would be helped by the removal of these two little unnecessary irritations.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Please sort out the roadsigns!
I've complained many times about the bad management of signage by the RTA.
While the design of the signs is good - large, with clear, easy-to-read wording, Arabic and English - they are all to often misleading, confusing, in the wrong place. They add to the dangers of driving in Dubai and they do cause crashes, I've seen it myself.
Now there's a frantic campaign under way to make them even more confusing.
It's gone beyond just changing signs which indicate the way to suburbs to the new obsession with showing the way to roads we've never heard of.
I came across this sign yesterday on Interchange 4. They used to indicate the way to "Dubai" or to "Jebel Ali. Abu Dhabi", which was clear, concise, not confusing.
So they had to go, to be replaced by:
While the design of the signs is good - large, with clear, easy-to-read wording, Arabic and English - they are all to often misleading, confusing, in the wrong place. They add to the dangers of driving in Dubai and they do cause crashes, I've seen it myself.
Now there's a frantic campaign under way to make them even more confusing.
It's gone beyond just changing signs which indicate the way to suburbs to the new obsession with showing the way to roads we've never heard of.
I came across this sign yesterday on Interchange 4. They used to indicate the way to "Dubai" or to "Jebel Ali. Abu Dhabi", which was clear, concise, not confusing.
So they had to go, to be replaced by:
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Al Sufouh trams
Gulf News tells us that the RTA has awarded the contract for phase one of the Al Sufouh Tram project. Phase One is scheduled to commence operations on April 11, 2011.
It'll run around Dubai Marina, including Jumeirah Beach Residence, link with the Metro at Jumeirah Lake Towers and Marina stations and have a total of thirteen stops (or stations, as they're called).
That's all good news, but I still fear for safety with trams 44 metres long carrying 305 passengers trundling along rails on the same roads as Dubai's moronic drivers.
And I have a question about the planning. Don't I always!
Phase One is a tram to nowhere. Here's the graphic produced by Gulf News (click on it to enlarge it):
It'll run around Dubai Marina, including Jumeirah Beach Residence, link with the Metro at Jumeirah Lake Towers and Marina stations and have a total of thirteen stops (or stations, as they're called).
That's all good news, but I still fear for safety with trams 44 metres long carrying 305 passengers trundling along rails on the same roads as Dubai's moronic drivers.
And I have a question about the planning. Don't I always!
Phase One is a tram to nowhere. Here's the graphic produced by Gulf News (click on it to enlarge it):
Why doesn't Phase One go the extra distance to Madinat Jumeirah? Or even better, to Mall of the Emirates Metro station. Why leave that section to be included in Phase Two?
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Signage, fish and terrorism
Road signage, whale sharks and terrorism laws don't have anything in common except that they're subjects on my mind today, so this is a bit of a mixed bag of a post.
First the road signage and a detail related to our new address system which I've talked about previously.
Having road names and building numbers is obviously the best address system, as proven around the world for over a hundred years.
But to drag the directional signs on our roads into it is a huge mistake. As I've said before, the directional signs should remain as they are, to suburbs. Like this:
Instead, the RTA is changing the signs to things like this:
Where the hell is that?
It's hard enough trying to find our way around Dubai as it is, with the endless construction, diversions, new roads, moron drivers, without this confusing signage.
We know we want to go to, for example, Umm Suqeim 1 or Al Quoz or Al Barsha. We can't be expected to learn and remember thousands of street names.
I passed the sign to Al Rasaas Rd while driving along Sheikh Zayed Road earlier today. It was pointing to an exit in the direction of Jumeirah/Umm Suqeim...or it could have been to a flyover looping across to somewhere in entirely the opposite direction such as Al Barsha. I have no idea and the sign does nothing but confuse me.
So, feedback to the RTA. The new addressing system is great, but please don't confuse it with directional roadsigns. They are two totally different things.
And then the fishy business going on at Atlantis with the captive whale shark.
Gulf News has a major 'free the whale shark' campaign under way and it's getting an inordinate amount of radio air time. On Thursday the International Herald Tribune ran an Associated Press story about it, which you can read here.
I really don't need to say more about the subject than obviously the animal should be released the moment she's fit enough.
What interests me about it all is the appalling way the hotel has handled its PR over the issue. They've acted in the same way over the other negative stories in the media here and overseas, about rooms not being available, of no water, of running out of beer and wine, of no parking space. The PR strategy seems to be ignore it and it'll go away, which is absolutely the worst possible approach.
Look at this para from the AP story carried in the IHT:
Representatives of Atlantis resort, which is located on a man-made island built in the shape of a palm tree, did not return calls to the AP on Thursday. They also did not respond to AP's request to speak to one of the marine specialists the hotel says monitors the whale shark around the clock.
That kind of non-communication raises all sorts of doubts and questions.
They originally announced that the whale shark was in their aquarium for medical treatment after fishermen had found it in distress. But they fudged around the timing of her release in the one interview I've heard, since when they've gone completely to ground.
Full marks for helping the animal. But refusing to say even that she will be released leads to the suspicion that they intend to keep her as an attraction for the paying public.
That leads naturally to suspicions about the capture by fishermen, particularly as it was just before the hotel's opening. And to whether the announcement of it was nothing more than a sales pitch to let the paying public know she was in their aquarium.
The answer is simple - call a media conference, announce that the animal was in distress, that they're doing all they can to restore it to health and the moment it's recovered sufficiently they will release it. That gives the hotel nothing but good publicity.
Instead they've ignored the many opportunities they've been given. In this day and age I can't believe any company could handle their PR so badly.
There's an old truism. It ain't the problem that's the problem, the way you handle it is the problem.
And so to terrorism laws.
Again this is something I've talked about in the past. The terrorism laws introduced by our governments are open to mis-use and abuse by our own governments and their agencies. And they're doing it.
The latest example is the UK government using their terrorism laws to freeze billions of pounds of Icelandic bank assets held in the UK.
Here's what the Financial Times has to say:
Financial crime lawyers said the government's un-precedented decision to apply the freezing order for purposes other than tackling terrorism opened the way to its use in other cases centred on commercial and political interests.
The Treasury's action on Wednesday to protect the deposits of British account holders has highlighted broader concerns that some security-related laws passed since the September 11 2001 terrorist attacks are so widely drafted they are open to abuse.
I had many a debate when the laws were being introduced in the US, the UK, Australia and I seemed to be a voice in the wilderness. The general opinion was 'we need the laws to catch the terrorists' and 'our government can be trusted'. As I argued at the time, that's naive in the extreme.
I've talked before about the previous Australian government's use of terrorism laws in the case against Dr Haneef, which was thrown out of court. You can read about that here.
Of the UK government's threat to use terrorism laws against climate change protesters, which you can read about here.
Now we see the use of them against institutions of a friendly country, as reported in the Financial Times which you can read here.
I'll simply repeat a few things I said in those previous posts:
And worst of all the naive belief that only the bad guys are affected by the terrorism laws. That innocent people will not be caught up in the paranoia. The reality is of course that any of us could be caught up in it.
...everyone, should be dealt with in a way that is consistent with our established values of justice, of fairness...overly draconian new terrorism laws are open to abuse and they will be abused.
If we allow our governments to erode and gradually destroy our established values, we're going backwards.
Terrorists are laughing - our own governments are doing their work for them. The destruction of our way of life is coming from within.
Sorry, if you stayed with me this far that is, I seem to have rambled on for much longer than I intended.
Now it's almost time to go out for dinner, to a Chinese restaurant we like very much at the top of Beach Road. I should post about that tomorrow because if you enjoy Chinese food you should give it a try.
First the road signage and a detail related to our new address system which I've talked about previously.
Having road names and building numbers is obviously the best address system, as proven around the world for over a hundred years.
But to drag the directional signs on our roads into it is a huge mistake. As I've said before, the directional signs should remain as they are, to suburbs. Like this:
Instead, the RTA is changing the signs to things like this:
Where the hell is that?
It's hard enough trying to find our way around Dubai as it is, with the endless construction, diversions, new roads, moron drivers, without this confusing signage.
We know we want to go to, for example, Umm Suqeim 1 or Al Quoz or Al Barsha. We can't be expected to learn and remember thousands of street names.
I passed the sign to Al Rasaas Rd while driving along Sheikh Zayed Road earlier today. It was pointing to an exit in the direction of Jumeirah/Umm Suqeim...or it could have been to a flyover looping across to somewhere in entirely the opposite direction such as Al Barsha. I have no idea and the sign does nothing but confuse me.
So, feedback to the RTA. The new addressing system is great, but please don't confuse it with directional roadsigns. They are two totally different things.
And then the fishy business going on at Atlantis with the captive whale shark.
Gulf News has a major 'free the whale shark' campaign under way and it's getting an inordinate amount of radio air time. On Thursday the International Herald Tribune ran an Associated Press story about it, which you can read here.
I really don't need to say more about the subject than obviously the animal should be released the moment she's fit enough.
What interests me about it all is the appalling way the hotel has handled its PR over the issue. They've acted in the same way over the other negative stories in the media here and overseas, about rooms not being available, of no water, of running out of beer and wine, of no parking space. The PR strategy seems to be ignore it and it'll go away, which is absolutely the worst possible approach.
Look at this para from the AP story carried in the IHT:
Representatives of Atlantis resort, which is located on a man-made island built in the shape of a palm tree, did not return calls to the AP on Thursday. They also did not respond to AP's request to speak to one of the marine specialists the hotel says monitors the whale shark around the clock.
That kind of non-communication raises all sorts of doubts and questions.
They originally announced that the whale shark was in their aquarium for medical treatment after fishermen had found it in distress. But they fudged around the timing of her release in the one interview I've heard, since when they've gone completely to ground.
Full marks for helping the animal. But refusing to say even that she will be released leads to the suspicion that they intend to keep her as an attraction for the paying public.
That leads naturally to suspicions about the capture by fishermen, particularly as it was just before the hotel's opening. And to whether the announcement of it was nothing more than a sales pitch to let the paying public know she was in their aquarium.
The answer is simple - call a media conference, announce that the animal was in distress, that they're doing all they can to restore it to health and the moment it's recovered sufficiently they will release it. That gives the hotel nothing but good publicity.
Instead they've ignored the many opportunities they've been given. In this day and age I can't believe any company could handle their PR so badly.
There's an old truism. It ain't the problem that's the problem, the way you handle it is the problem.
And so to terrorism laws.
Again this is something I've talked about in the past. The terrorism laws introduced by our governments are open to mis-use and abuse by our own governments and their agencies. And they're doing it.
The latest example is the UK government using their terrorism laws to freeze billions of pounds of Icelandic bank assets held in the UK.
Here's what the Financial Times has to say:
Financial crime lawyers said the government's un-precedented decision to apply the freezing order for purposes other than tackling terrorism opened the way to its use in other cases centred on commercial and political interests.
The Treasury's action on Wednesday to protect the deposits of British account holders has highlighted broader concerns that some security-related laws passed since the September 11 2001 terrorist attacks are so widely drafted they are open to abuse.
I had many a debate when the laws were being introduced in the US, the UK, Australia and I seemed to be a voice in the wilderness. The general opinion was 'we need the laws to catch the terrorists' and 'our government can be trusted'. As I argued at the time, that's naive in the extreme.
I've talked before about the previous Australian government's use of terrorism laws in the case against Dr Haneef, which was thrown out of court. You can read about that here.
Of the UK government's threat to use terrorism laws against climate change protesters, which you can read about here.
Now we see the use of them against institutions of a friendly country, as reported in the Financial Times which you can read here.
I'll simply repeat a few things I said in those previous posts:
And worst of all the naive belief that only the bad guys are affected by the terrorism laws. That innocent people will not be caught up in the paranoia. The reality is of course that any of us could be caught up in it.
...everyone, should be dealt with in a way that is consistent with our established values of justice, of fairness...overly draconian new terrorism laws are open to abuse and they will be abused.
If we allow our governments to erode and gradually destroy our established values, we're going backwards.
Terrorists are laughing - our own governments are doing their work for them. The destruction of our way of life is coming from within.
Sorry, if you stayed with me this far that is, I seem to have rambled on for much longer than I intended.
Now it's almost time to go out for dinner, to a Chinese restaurant we like very much at the top of Beach Road. I should post about that tomorrow because if you enjoy Chinese food you should give it a try.
Saturday, October 04, 2008
RTA wants our feedback.
In Gulf News this morning there's more on the new street addressing system, which I was talking about yesterday.
When we say 'new' it means of course new to Dubai, the rest of the world has been using it for hundreds of years.
The report ends: The Roads and Transport Authority is awaiting feedback from the public on the new system.
OK, lines from the story and feedback...
RTA takes stock of new address system
A project follow-up committee has been set up and consists of experts from Dubai Municipality, Police, Civil Defence, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, Unified Ambulance Centre, Emirates Posts Holding Group, etisalat and du.
My feedback on that - excellent, well done. The organisations involved are talking to each other, something that doesn't happen often enough.
...The new system is clear, concise, simple and easily memorised as it is based on building numbers, and names of road...
Feedback - excellent again. Not new, not rocket science but it's a system that's worked successfully for so long around the world.
But then it goes pear shaped.
This system will replace district names used in the old system
Feedback - no no no! Totally wrong, misleading, confusing, unnecessary.
You need to keep the district names and they need to be what's on directional roadsigns.
When we're driving around the already confusing road system trying to find our way to, let's say, Umm Suqeim, we need a sign that directs us to Umm Suqeim.
The last thing we need is a sign that doesn't mention the suburb but instead tells us it's the way to Ali Baba bin Abdulaziz Street.
PLEASE DON'T DO IT.
There's another little RTA piece on the same page and this one has me back in the land of the bewildered.
Here it is in full:
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) recently organised a training course designed to upgrade the profile and efficiency of its employees on etiquette and international protocol.
According to an RTA press release, more than 21 employees from different departments took part in the course which lasted for one week.
Among the etiquette skills gained by participants were etiquettes of communication, speech, introduction, dress, eating, gift presentation, telephone etiquette, social visits, banquets, visiting patients and decorations.
Look, I know it's a bizarre suggestion but instead of teaching them eating and gift presentation skills, wouldn't it be more useful to teach them about road planning? Teach them how to erect road signs in the right place? Teach them the importance of giving motorists advance warning of road changes?
(I was going to ask whether the visiting patients skill they're being taught refers to patients of road crashes, but as that would be facetious I won't).
You can find the stories here and here.
When we say 'new' it means of course new to Dubai, the rest of the world has been using it for hundreds of years.
The report ends: The Roads and Transport Authority is awaiting feedback from the public on the new system.
OK, lines from the story and feedback...
RTA takes stock of new address system
A project follow-up committee has been set up and consists of experts from Dubai Municipality, Police, Civil Defence, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, Unified Ambulance Centre, Emirates Posts Holding Group, etisalat and du.
My feedback on that - excellent, well done. The organisations involved are talking to each other, something that doesn't happen often enough.
...The new system is clear, concise, simple and easily memorised as it is based on building numbers, and names of road...
Feedback - excellent again. Not new, not rocket science but it's a system that's worked successfully for so long around the world.
But then it goes pear shaped.
This system will replace district names used in the old system
Feedback - no no no! Totally wrong, misleading, confusing, unnecessary.
You need to keep the district names and they need to be what's on directional roadsigns.
When we're driving around the already confusing road system trying to find our way to, let's say, Umm Suqeim, we need a sign that directs us to Umm Suqeim.
The last thing we need is a sign that doesn't mention the suburb but instead tells us it's the way to Ali Baba bin Abdulaziz Street.
PLEASE DON'T DO IT.
There's another little RTA piece on the same page and this one has me back in the land of the bewildered.
Here it is in full:
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) recently organised a training course designed to upgrade the profile and efficiency of its employees on etiquette and international protocol.
According to an RTA press release, more than 21 employees from different departments took part in the course which lasted for one week.
Among the etiquette skills gained by participants were etiquettes of communication, speech, introduction, dress, eating, gift presentation, telephone etiquette, social visits, banquets, visiting patients and decorations.
Look, I know it's a bizarre suggestion but instead of teaching them eating and gift presentation skills, wouldn't it be more useful to teach them about road planning? Teach them how to erect road signs in the right place? Teach them the importance of giving motorists advance warning of road changes?
(I was going to ask whether the visiting patients skill they're being taught refers to patients of road crashes, but as that would be facetious I won't).
You can find the stories here and here.
Friday, October 03, 2008
What needs testing?
I simply don't understand the way the people at the RTA think.
Just reading again the story from The National I posted about yesterday concerning the new street addressing system, the way they go about things baffles me completely.
Here's part of what they said:
The signs from main roads like Sheikh Zayed Road are being changed...It’s a test phase being carried out between interchanges two and four...Whenever you introduce a new scheme like this in a test phase, there’s always going to be some confusion...Dubai’s new addressing system – which is undergoing a pilot testing in Jumeirah 3 – will replace the system of numbers for minor roads with unique street names.
It's a perfectly normal addressing system, used around the world for, what, a hundred years or more?
You give streets names and you give the buildings sequential numbers. What needs testing?
If, unbelievably to me, you don't understand how it works you can check very simply by asking the appropriate authority in another city which uses the system.
You don't need to test it.
But the RTA do.
Astonishing.
Just reading again the story from The National I posted about yesterday concerning the new street addressing system, the way they go about things baffles me completely.
Here's part of what they said:
The signs from main roads like Sheikh Zayed Road are being changed...It’s a test phase being carried out between interchanges two and four...Whenever you introduce a new scheme like this in a test phase, there’s always going to be some confusion...Dubai’s new addressing system – which is undergoing a pilot testing in Jumeirah 3 – will replace the system of numbers for minor roads with unique street names.
It's a perfectly normal addressing system, used around the world for, what, a hundred years or more?
You give streets names and you give the buildings sequential numbers. What needs testing?
If, unbelievably to me, you don't understand how it works you can check very simply by asking the appropriate authority in another city which uses the system.
You don't need to test it.
But the RTA do.
Astonishing.
Thursday, October 02, 2008
The RTA gets it wrong again
Back in July I posted a sarcastic piece about the street address system in Dubai.
Not for one moment do I think it had anything to do with our beloved RTA doing what I suggested.
Nevertheless, the RTA has news of the new addressing system they are introducing on their website, here.
They're doing the right, the obvious, thing. Giving streets names and buildings sequential numbers.
Great, well done, it's what we need.
Then comes the implementation, which takes us on to another avoidable problem I've talked about many times before - inaccurate, misleading, downright dangerous road signage. Signage which contributes to crashes.
As a report in The National tells us:
...the first phase of implementing the new system of street names has confused motorists and even caused a few road accidents.
Signs along Sheikh Zayed Road, the city’s main thoroughfare, which previously displayed the names of well-known areas such as Umm Suqeim, Al Safa and Jumeirah, have been replaced by boards directing traffic to the areas’ main arterial roads, some of which have been given new names.
They've named various roads, names which no-one knows because they haven't told us. Then they remove signs which show the way to suburbs and replace them with signs showing the way to the roads we've never heard of.
Mistake number one: motorists need signs showing the way to suburbs, the name of the road at that stage is irrelevant. To change them is a mistake.
Mistake number two: the signs have been changed with no warning, confusing motorists:
...motorists on Sheikh Zayed Road have been baffled by the new signs...'I nearly collided with another car the other day when I was trying to decipher these signs to find my exit'...hit another vehicle as he craned his neck to read the new sign...
We do need the new addressing system. But we don't need it translated to road signs on our major highways. They need to be signs to suburbs.
The road names simply need to be prominently displayed on the roads themselves, so that they can be easily seen and read by motorists. And the owner of each building needs to be informed of its street number so that the number can be prominently displayed on the building.
The National reports the story here.
Then another example of bad planning. The two month gridlock in Dubai Marina which I've been ranting about since the end of July.
All roads but one closed, so drivers trying to get out of the Marina, to any destination, were jammed onto one small local road. It took literally hours every morning to move two kilometres.
It was unnecessary. There were two things which could have been done. One, the perfectly useable bridge which was closed off could have been opened. Some drivers were getting around the barriers and using it anyway, so there was no reason not to open it.
More importantly, the exit onto Sheikh Zayed Road to Jebel Ali/Abu Dhabi should not have been closed until the alternative exit was opened.
After two months of frustration, lost work time, missed appointments, added pollution, it is now open.
It's part of the new giant Interchange 5.5, as it's currently called, at the Jebel Ali end of Dubai Marina.
A flyover takes you across SZR and loops back in the direction of Dubai. A slip road joins SZR in the Jebel Ali/Abu Dhabi direction.
This interchange was always needed, it was a serious omission when the Marina was designed and full marks to the RTA for correcting the mistake.
If only they'd planned the changes properly to avoid the problems of the last two months.
Not for one moment do I think it had anything to do with our beloved RTA doing what I suggested.
Nevertheless, the RTA has news of the new addressing system they are introducing on their website, here.
They're doing the right, the obvious, thing. Giving streets names and buildings sequential numbers.
Great, well done, it's what we need.
Then comes the implementation, which takes us on to another avoidable problem I've talked about many times before - inaccurate, misleading, downright dangerous road signage. Signage which contributes to crashes.
As a report in The National tells us:
...the first phase of implementing the new system of street names has confused motorists and even caused a few road accidents.
Signs along Sheikh Zayed Road, the city’s main thoroughfare, which previously displayed the names of well-known areas such as Umm Suqeim, Al Safa and Jumeirah, have been replaced by boards directing traffic to the areas’ main arterial roads, some of which have been given new names.
They've named various roads, names which no-one knows because they haven't told us. Then they remove signs which show the way to suburbs and replace them with signs showing the way to the roads we've never heard of.
Mistake number one: motorists need signs showing the way to suburbs, the name of the road at that stage is irrelevant. To change them is a mistake.
Mistake number two: the signs have been changed with no warning, confusing motorists:
...motorists on Sheikh Zayed Road have been baffled by the new signs...'I nearly collided with another car the other day when I was trying to decipher these signs to find my exit'...hit another vehicle as he craned his neck to read the new sign...
We do need the new addressing system. But we don't need it translated to road signs on our major highways. They need to be signs to suburbs.
The road names simply need to be prominently displayed on the roads themselves, so that they can be easily seen and read by motorists. And the owner of each building needs to be informed of its street number so that the number can be prominently displayed on the building.
The National reports the story here.
Then another example of bad planning. The two month gridlock in Dubai Marina which I've been ranting about since the end of July.
All roads but one closed, so drivers trying to get out of the Marina, to any destination, were jammed onto one small local road. It took literally hours every morning to move two kilometres.
It was unnecessary. There were two things which could have been done. One, the perfectly useable bridge which was closed off could have been opened. Some drivers were getting around the barriers and using it anyway, so there was no reason not to open it.
More importantly, the exit onto Sheikh Zayed Road to Jebel Ali/Abu Dhabi should not have been closed until the alternative exit was opened.
After two months of frustration, lost work time, missed appointments, added pollution, it is now open.
It's part of the new giant Interchange 5.5, as it's currently called, at the Jebel Ali end of Dubai Marina.
A flyover takes you across SZR and loops back in the direction of Dubai. A slip road joins SZR in the Jebel Ali/Abu Dhabi direction.
This interchange was always needed, it was a serious omission when the Marina was designed and full marks to the RTA for correcting the mistake.
If only they'd planned the changes properly to avoid the problems of the last two months.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
More RTA planning
"The emirate's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is considering increasing hourly parking charges to encourage motorists to leave their cars at home and switch to public transport. And fines for parking offences are set to go up.
The RTA estimates that currently only seven per cent of the population use public transport while the rest use private means – a major cause of congestion.
People in Dubai believe that owning a vehicle is a status symbol. That is why some families have more than one car, which is an unnecessary burden to the roads. We have to find ways of eliminating this burden."
Sorry to interrupt the explanations about the problem, but I'd like to add an observation.
The reason so many of us use our private cars is because we don't have a public transport system. Nor do we have enough taxis.
We have no alternative to using our cars.
Even when the Metro opens next year it will serve only a tiny part of the huge area that is now Dubai.
The current bus service is far from adequate and all the news reports I've seen have pointed out flaws in the system.
Oh, and the RTA has added unnecessary bureaucracy to car pooling, making it less attractive to people who would otherwise car pool.
Getting us out of our cars and onto public transport depends on providing a public transport system that is efficient, convenient, clean, safe, reliable and gets us where we want to go when we want to go there.
That we don't have.
The story about how the RTA plans to deter us from using our cars is in EmBiz247, here.
The RTA estimates that currently only seven per cent of the population use public transport while the rest use private means – a major cause of congestion.
People in Dubai believe that owning a vehicle is a status symbol. That is why some families have more than one car, which is an unnecessary burden to the roads. We have to find ways of eliminating this burden."
Sorry to interrupt the explanations about the problem, but I'd like to add an observation.
The reason so many of us use our private cars is because we don't have a public transport system. Nor do we have enough taxis.
We have no alternative to using our cars.
Even when the Metro opens next year it will serve only a tiny part of the huge area that is now Dubai.
The current bus service is far from adequate and all the news reports I've seen have pointed out flaws in the system.
Oh, and the RTA has added unnecessary bureaucracy to car pooling, making it less attractive to people who would otherwise car pool.
Getting us out of our cars and onto public transport depends on providing a public transport system that is efficient, convenient, clean, safe, reliable and gets us where we want to go when we want to go there.
That we don't have.
The story about how the RTA plans to deter us from using our cars is in EmBiz247, here.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Why is the bridge closed?
I was talking yesterday about the closed bridge in the Marina, which enterprising motorists use by bouncing around the road barriers.
This morning, as I was sitting in the traffic jam, I caught a couple of them on camera.
The 4x4 on the footpath to get around the barrier...
And the taxi up on the footpath...
...and motoring happily across the bridge...
The question remains, why isn't the bridge opened to traffic?
This morning, as I was sitting in the traffic jam, I caught a couple of them on camera.
The 4x4 on the footpath to get around the barrier...
And the taxi up on the footpath...
...and motoring happily across the bridge...
The question remains, why isn't the bridge opened to traffic?
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
How's this for planning...
The traffic problem in Dubai Marina has eased these days from non-moving gridlock to just a jam...it's very slow but at least the traffic is moving.
It's caused because traffic going into Dubai and in the opposite direction to Jebel Ali all has to travel on one small road to join another where there's a traffic signal.
There is a way that it could be eased, but the planners at the RTA obviously have other ideas.
One of the bridges across the marina was completed, opened, then closed after a few days. It's been closed for maybe a year.
But...
Drivers are bumping up onto the footpath to get around the concrete barrier, drive happily across the bridge, do the footpath detour the other side and use the less-congested road there.
As this is an option people take every morning you have to wonder why the bridge isn't simply re-opened.
It's caused because traffic going into Dubai and in the opposite direction to Jebel Ali all has to travel on one small road to join another where there's a traffic signal.
There is a way that it could be eased, but the planners at the RTA obviously have other ideas.
One of the bridges across the marina was completed, opened, then closed after a few days. It's been closed for maybe a year.
But...
Drivers are bumping up onto the footpath to get around the concrete barrier, drive happily across the bridge, do the footpath detour the other side and use the less-congested road there.
As this is an option people take every morning you have to wonder why the bridge isn't simply re-opened.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Traffic chaos rant.
Yesterday the RTA created gridlock most of the morning in Dubai Marina.
Over the weekend they closed a major road with no warning. No no new signs were erected. No 'Changed road conditions' signs.
Nothing.
So motorists went the way they've been going for a year and found this:
The only sign warning drivers of this is a couple of hundred metres from the blocked road. A small temporary sign, black on yellow, which is easy to miss in all the construction clutter and the dangerous traffic:
By the time they reach this sign it's too late, the narrow, local, residential roads, already choked with construction traffic and parked cars, are jammed solid. With more and more vehicles coming up behind plus hundreds trying to leave the buildings in the area.
People were trapped in their vehicles for three hours or more. It was the first item on radio news reports, so it was well publicised.
Seeing the problem they'd created and the simple cure for it, erecting signage, the RTA took immediate action to make sure they fixed the problem and avoided a repeat. Didn't they?
If they gave a damn they would have.
Being the RTA they did absolutely nothing.
They simply let the gridlock happen all over again this morning.
The concierge in our building came around before 7am to warn us that traffic was jammed outside our car park. Too late, we couldn't get out so we got on with work on our computers at home.
At just before 10am he came back to let us know the traffic was clearing.
Three hours of gridlock again.
The original fiasco is an example of the incompetent management we've come to expect. The lack of action to correct their mistake is an example of arrogance and a don't-give-a-damn attitude.
They call this management?
The whole management of the roads is a disaster. They can't get even the simple things right.
Just take this one small area I'm talking about. When you drive along Al Sufouh Road towards Jebel Ali/Abu Dhai there are very few signs to those destinations.
Eventually there is one - it directs drivers past the obvious last connection to Sheikh Zayed Road at the completed Interchange 5 and on to Dubai Marina.
That was always a breathtakingly stupid route to direct drivers along.
When you're into the beginning of Dubai Marina there's another sign to Abu Dhabi, easy to miss in all the construction clutter. If you happen to spot it, it tells you to go back the way you've come, so many people tend to ignore it and go straight ahead.
For about a year that's been the way to Jebel Ali/Abu Dhabi for hundreds, probably thousands, of vehicles.
Then with no warning the road is closed.
How long are these people going to remain in their jobs, causing by their incompetence such huge chaos, pollution, financial losses?
PS:
By the way, well done to Dubai Police.
When eventually, after 10am, we were able to get out, a lone traffic cop was standing in the sun, in the heat and dust, doing his best to get the traffic moving. He was over-riding a red signal which is always a bottle-neck, when it was safe to do so, waving the traffic through.
To the anonymous cop, well done and thank you. You saw a problem and took action to solve it. Give me your name and I'll vote for you to be the new boss of the RTA.
Over the weekend they closed a major road with no warning. No no new signs were erected. No 'Changed road conditions' signs.
Nothing.
So motorists went the way they've been going for a year and found this:
The only sign warning drivers of this is a couple of hundred metres from the blocked road. A small temporary sign, black on yellow, which is easy to miss in all the construction clutter and the dangerous traffic:
By the time they reach this sign it's too late, the narrow, local, residential roads, already choked with construction traffic and parked cars, are jammed solid. With more and more vehicles coming up behind plus hundreds trying to leave the buildings in the area.
People were trapped in their vehicles for three hours or more. It was the first item on radio news reports, so it was well publicised.
Seeing the problem they'd created and the simple cure for it, erecting signage, the RTA took immediate action to make sure they fixed the problem and avoided a repeat. Didn't they?
If they gave a damn they would have.
Being the RTA they did absolutely nothing.
They simply let the gridlock happen all over again this morning.
The concierge in our building came around before 7am to warn us that traffic was jammed outside our car park. Too late, we couldn't get out so we got on with work on our computers at home.
At just before 10am he came back to let us know the traffic was clearing.
Three hours of gridlock again.
The original fiasco is an example of the incompetent management we've come to expect. The lack of action to correct their mistake is an example of arrogance and a don't-give-a-damn attitude.
They call this management?
The whole management of the roads is a disaster. They can't get even the simple things right.
Just take this one small area I'm talking about. When you drive along Al Sufouh Road towards Jebel Ali/Abu Dhai there are very few signs to those destinations.
Eventually there is one - it directs drivers past the obvious last connection to Sheikh Zayed Road at the completed Interchange 5 and on to Dubai Marina.
That was always a breathtakingly stupid route to direct drivers along.
When you're into the beginning of Dubai Marina there's another sign to Abu Dhabi, easy to miss in all the construction clutter. If you happen to spot it, it tells you to go back the way you've come, so many people tend to ignore it and go straight ahead.
For about a year that's been the way to Jebel Ali/Abu Dhabi for hundreds, probably thousands, of vehicles.
Then with no warning the road is closed.
How long are these people going to remain in their jobs, causing by their incompetence such huge chaos, pollution, financial losses?
PS:
By the way, well done to Dubai Police.
When eventually, after 10am, we were able to get out, a lone traffic cop was standing in the sun, in the heat and dust, doing his best to get the traffic moving. He was over-riding a red signal which is always a bottle-neck, when it was safe to do so, waving the traffic through.
To the anonymous cop, well done and thank you. You saw a problem and took action to solve it. Give me your name and I'll vote for you to be the new boss of the RTA.
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