RTA Signs a MoU with ORR for Certification & Regulation of Rail Network

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Roads & Transport Authority - Mohammed Al Munji:

- With Photo

The Dubai Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the UK Office of Rail Regulation
(ORR); the first of its kind in the Middle East focusing on certification and
regulation of railways to ensure the safety of public, passengers and staff.

The MoU was signed from the RTA by H.E. Mattar Al Tayer,
Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA, and from the ORR by
H.E. Allan Spence, Her Majesty’s Deputy Chief Inspector of Railways.

“From inception RTA set out ‘Safety First’ as a theme for all
projects undertaken, particularly Dubai Metro, which is one of the biggest
and most sophisticated projects undertaken by the RTA. Safety & security are
essential ingredients in all components of the Metro Project, which will be a
springboard to develop and upgrade all transport modes in the emirate. The
Organizational Chart of the RTA encompasses an independent department to
cater for Safety under the umbrella of Strategy & Corporate Governance
Sector; which was designated as: Safety Regulation & Planning Dep’t tasked to
oversee safety planning, policies, licensing, regulation, accident
investigation, auditing, and monitoring. RTA also established two departments
of Quality, Health, Safety and Environment (QHSE) at Traffic & Roads Agency
and Rail Agency, over and above QHSE Offices affiliated to other RTA
agencies,” said Al Tayer.

“Under Law No. 17/2005, which established the RTA, RTA is
tasked with the responsibility of safety of all road, bus, taxi, marine and
rail transport in all parts of the emirate of Dubai, including free zones.
RTA opted to provide top-class safety standards for Dubai Metro Project
through four levels; starting with the Contractor, followed by the
Consultant, RTA experts and Lloyds Co.; which is the independent safety
surveyor of Dubai Metro Project.

“RTA opted to sign a MoU with ORR in recognition of over 150
years of railway safety experience enjoyed by the ORR. A team of
international railway safety experts was established, including Mr. Stanley
Robertson, formerly Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Railways, Mr Michael
Etwell and Mr. Amair Saleem who were both part of the Certification Team for
the recent Taiwan High Speed Rail Project.

“According to the MoU, ORR shall attend to certification and
regulation of railways network to ensure the safety of public, passengers and
staff. It will also develop and implement health and safety regulation of
railways in Dubai, including powers for inspection and enforcement. ORR will
lend support to the RTA certification process for railways in Dubai,
including support in assessment of the railway operator’s safety management
systems. It will provide support to the RTA in the regulation of railways in
Dubai, establishment of railway databases to capture railway performance data
at Dubai level, followed by statistical, safety & performance analysis, and
mentoring & training of RTA staff,” added Al Tayer.

Al Tayer hoped that the experience gained from this
partnership would further enhance RTA’s standing as the regional leader and
expert in this niche field for the benefit of Dubai and the United Arab
Emirates.

He hailed the model experience and fruitful cooperation with
the ORR over the course of safety certification assessments of the Nakheel
Palm Jumeirah Transit System (Palm Monorail) before the start of revenue
operation in April 2009.

H.E. Allan Spence, Her Majesty’s Deputy Chief Inspector of
Railways said that ORR would do its level best to align the various processes
of the Dubai Metro Project with the international standards & specifications.
For this reason, ORR would mobilize all technical expertise to deliver its
assignment, added Spence.

In November 2006 RTA signed an Agreement with Lloyds Register
Co. -which is specialized in the field of security, safety, occupational
health and industrial facilities - to assess safety in Dubai Metro Project.
According to the Agreement, Lloyds Register attends to surveying, testing and
inspecting each phase of construction, processing, operation and maintenance
of Dubai Metro Project.

The core business of the Consultant focuses on safety of
operational systems and Project Safety Survey Plan. This covers initial
plans, implementation charts, interim & final engineering designs, as well as
follow up of manufacturing, assembling and composition of the train. It also
covers initial tests, operation & maintenance installations, trial runs prior
to provision of passenger service, completion of project safety systems, and
issuing recommendation of safety & operation of the rail system.

The Independent Assessment Contract of Dubai Metro Operation
is considered one of the key and major contracts of Dubai Metro Project. The
Contract provides full assessment of the metro system, including all
components, equipment and related technologies, by a technical body
independent from both the Contractor and Consultant to ensure that all
security and safety requirements of the metro system have been addressed in
full. An ongoing review system of various metro systems & installations is in
place to run the metro network on the Red & Green Lines and related
accessories. There will be a technical system to track and detect technical
safety problems shooting during the metro operation, and the safety metro
operation will be certified by the appointed consultant.

RTA stressed the crucial role of the resident independent
safety surveyor in aligning the constructional & operational processes to
attain highest performance standards. Besides the key role of aligning and
coordinating the roles of the Consultant and & the Contractor of the Project,
the Independent Safety Surveyor will work hand in hand with the concerned
technical team of the Contractor & sub-contractors to finalize the assessment
& discussion of the final safety plan of the project covering all parts &
phases of the Project. This plan will be the benchmark against which all
phases of Dubai Metro Projects systems will be audited, inspected and
reviewed.

Note to Editors:

A picture accompanying this release is available through the PA
Photowire. It can be downloaded from www.pa-mediapoint.press.net or
viewed at www.mediapoint.press.net or www.prnewswire.co.uk.

Contact details:
Fiona Chantelle D’Cunha
Public Relations Section
+971-4-2065098
+971-5-02821969

Source: Roads and Transport Authority

Contact details for media only: Peyman Younes Parham, Director of Marketing and Corporate Communication Department, +971-4-2065005, +971-5-08889689