The media office of the Dubai government organized, in cooperation with Dubai TV, a press conference remotely via video communication, in which the Director General of the Board of Directors of the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority, Mattar Mohamed Al Tayer, and the Vice President at Dubai Airports, Jamal Al Hay, answered the questions of a group of editors Local newspapers, media practitioners and representatives of the Arab and international media about the developments in the Emirate of Dubai regarding the new Corona virus (COFED-19) and the efforts made by the relevant authorities in Dubai to limit the spread of the virus.
preventive measures The editor-in-chief of the Emirates Today newspaper, Sami Al-Riyami, asked the Director General of the Board of Directors of the Roads and Transport Authority in Dubai Matar Mohammed Al Tayer about the preventive measures taken by the authority regarding Dubai taxi and bus services, especially among the drivers. Where Al Tayer affirmed that the authority has always followed international methods in dealing with public transportation. He added that, according to the reports published by the International Federation of Public Transport, the union has established some regulations that transportation institutions and bodies must follow, especially with regard to the taxi and limousine sector to protect drivers, and continuous sterilization. He pointed out that the Roads and Transport Authority in Dubai provided personal protection methods for drivers, and also applied thermal scanning to all drivers and workers, in addition to a strict program for sterilization and cleaning of all buses and taxis during the sterilization program and the national, and the number of buses reached more than 800 buses and more than 5000 vehicles, The number of passengers has also been reduced from 70 to 30 people per bus, and the authority has also limited the number of passengers in taxis to three passengers, including the driver. Al Tayer pointed to the importance of the transportation sector for various sectors in this exceptional stage, especially the health sector, and providing support to hospitals, clinics and pharmacies, and that transportation is a vital sector that cannot completely stop basic services and stop serving vital sectors in this period. |
At the beginning of the conference, which was broadcast live on "Sama Dubai" channel, and moderated by the journalist Mohammed Salem, it was confirmed that the Dubai government, under the directions of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and the follow-up of His Highness the Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council, and His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, is making huge efforts through its various departments, bodies and agencies concerned to combat the emerging corona virus (Covid-19) and address its implications At all levels of health, economics and social, to ensure that it exceeds The current crisis of the least negative impact possible, and even convert it carries challenges to new opportunities for excellence.
Regarding the transportation sector, Al Tayer stressed that the movement of transportation in Dubai is going according to the procedures approved by the Supreme Committee for Crisis and Disasters in Dubai, headed by His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, noting that since the beginning of the crisis several precautionary measures have been implemented, which Among them was stopping the Dubai Metro, easing transportation traffic in cooperation with the Dubai Police and transportation security, and health measures approved by the Dubai Health Authority were implemented, indicating a decrease in passenger numbers from one million and 300 thousand passengers to 400 thousand passengers daily.
The Deputy CEO of Dubai Airports Corporation, Jamal Al-Hayy, addressed issues related to the food and medical supplies chain since the beginning of the current global crisis, where Emirates Airlines flights witnessed an increase equivalent to twice the number of cargo flights, with passenger aircraft being used in cargo flights to serve the needs of these The critical phase, as well as opening new areas for shipment during this phase, and securing national warehouses and stores to accommodate the abundant quantities of medicines and foodstuffs in Dubai.
In response to a question by the editor-in-chief of the Gulf News newspaper, Abdel Hamid Ahmed, about how to evaluate the services that the Roads Authority provides to the public through smart and electronic channels, Matar Al Tayer said, “The Authority is one of the government agencies that pioneered the development of services and digital transformation, with having four digital channels In addition to the authority’s website to meet the needs of customers around the clock, as these channels witnessed a 40% increase in the number of transactions ».
He pointed out that the authority launched a new service through a mobile bus called the "Mobile Happiness Center", which started with the service of owners of determination and the elderly, stressing that the demand of customers for the Authority's electronic services led to an increase in these transactions in general to 300%, compared to the same period of the year the past.
In response to a question by the responsible editor-in-chief of Al-Bayan media newspaper, Mona Abu Samra, about the new destinations in the shipping sector imposed by the conditions and repercussions of the spread of the Corona virus, Jamal Al-Hayy answered that Dubai airports cargo services did not stop at all. On the contrary, Dubai Airport witnessed new destinations Freight currently has approximately 110 daily cargo flights, and we have also witnessed a rise in the number of tons of freight, and we have cooperation with 12 airlines, day and night, to operate the plans drawn up and achieve the aspirations of Dubai at this stage.
In a question from Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper to the media assistant, Al-Zayani, about how Dubai airports deal with thousands of people wanting to return to their countries until the repercussions of the crisis (Covid-19) are over, Al-Hay replied: “Dubai airport evacuated approximately 37,000 passengers from Those in the Emirates, specifically from those in Dubai, and all of them arrived safely in their countries, after having been given the necessary medical examinations before traveling as one of the conditions imposed by some countries for the return of their nationals ».
In a question from the editor-in-chief of Al-Ittihad newspaper, Hamad Al-Kaabi, about the energy that Dubai buses and taxis operate, Al Tayer said that “Dubai employs more than one taxi company with a total of 11,000 taxis. At the time of the crisis, the authority operated 5,000 vehicles, representing 25% of Its energy. ”
The director of the office of the Egyptian newspaper "Al-Ahram" in Dubai, media figure Wael Al-Sawaf, asked a question about the number of aircraft operating today at Dubai Airport, and Al-Hayy answered that most international airports are currently closed, and therefore there are no scheduled flights at the airport, and the current flights are only those concerned with the evacuation of nationals Some countries and the number of these trips are variable, but with regard to the number of cargo flights, they are approximately 110 daily flights.
He pointed out that scheduled flights will be considered as of mid-June, or early July, while schedules and freight statistics will be scheduled as of next July.
Al-Khaleej newspaper’s editor-in-chief Raed Barqawi asked Rain for Al Tayer about the authority’s ability to continue implementing road projects. Al Tayer said: “Dubai was proactive in dealing with the crisis and took all precautionary measures, thanks to the daily follow-up of the Supreme Committee for Crises and Disasters, and decisions that It is taken during the daily and weekly meetings by constantly assessing the situation on the ground.
With regard to workers, Matar Al Tayer stressed that there are precautionary measures and instructions approved by the Health Authority and the competent authorities that are applied with the utmost accuracy, whether in the workers' accommodations, or the means of transportation designated for them.
He stressed that the projects in Dubai are continuing and that the authority opened many projects during this period, but as for the future, the annual operating plans are adjusted according to events, and there is no doubt that after Corona these effects will be studied and their impact on the plans, whether in financial terms or The strategy as well as the planning aspect.
The editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Al-Ru'ya" newspaper, Mohammed Al Hammadi, asked Jamal Al-Hayy about the extent of the impact of freight traffic to Dubai, and whether the absorptive capacity of the aircraft allocated to that was raised, as he confirmed the increase in the allocated cargo capacity during this period, and Dubai airports witnessed an increase in the number of tons Assigned.
In response to a question by the journalist Faisal Baroud of the Emirates News Agency, about whether Dubai Taxi service is limited to pre-order, Mattar Al Tayer said: “The taxi companies in the service work through the“ Hala ”application or the“ Dubai Taxi ”application, in addition to Two services have been added to support the health sector in Dubai continuously, where vehicles are provided for the injured, and vehicles have been allocated to transport about 120 doctors per day, and other vehicles to support pharmacies, and delivery services have also been supported by signing 10 contracts with delivery companies.
He pointed out that the authority is studying how to help taxi companies to compensate for the losses resulting from the Corona crisis, whether through reducing fees or other measures.
The editor-in-chief of "Khaleej Times" newspaper, Mustafa Al-Zarouni, asked Rain of Al Tayer about the precautionary measures taken by the authority to ensure that the Corona virus does not spread among the users of transportation. He said: “The authority relies on international practices and instructions of the International Transport Union, which approved three axes focus It is in Dubai: cleansing and sterilizing, protecting users and employees, as well as social separation.
In a question to Abdullah Al-Mutawa from Al-Arabiya channel, addressed to Jamal Al-Hai, about whether there are initiatives to reduce the burdens on the aviation and business partners, he said: “All companies and investors at Dubai Airport are exempted 100% from the minimum guarantees or The equivalent fees for the partners who were asked to stop the activity or trading, because of the suspension of airport operations as a result of the global epidemic, and that from the first of March 2020 until May 31 »
Al Tayer Rain:
Transportation is a vital sector whose basic services cannot be stopped, and we take preventive measures.
- The authority is studying ways to help the national taxi companies to recoup their losses.
Jamal Al Hai:
Emirates Airlines has doubled the number of its cargo flights since the crisis began.
- Shipping operations did not stop at Dubai airport, and we have about 110 flights daily.
Dubai was a pioneer in tackling the crisis, and daily meetings were chaired by Mansour bin Mohammed to follow developments and make decisions.
- International experts praised the level of Dubai's handling of the crisis, outperforming its precautionary measures over major international cities.