New marine stations for Dubai canals

DUBAI // Twelve marine transport stations will be built at Business Bay Canal and Dubai Water Canal, a Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) official said.

“Five of these are being built at the Dubai Water Canal project, which is under way, and the remaining seven stations will be built at the Business Bay Canal by 2018,” said Mattar Al Tayer, director-general and chairman of the RTA board of executive directors.

The stations will take the total in Dubai Creek, Business Bay Canal and Dubai Water Canal to 18.

“This will make marine transit the favourite mobility choice of citizens, residents, and visitors who will be ferried from the shores of the Dubai Creek and the two water canals.”

An estimated 13 million passengers use marine transit each year, he said.

“The RTA has developed a master plan for upgrading marine transport systems including the Dubai Creek lines, coastal line alongside the Jumeirah beaches, new islands service lines, as well as the Business Bay and Dubai Water Canal lines.”

RTA has also invested heavily in water taxis called abras. They are deployed at tourist hot spots, such as Dubai Mall Lake, Global Village, Atlantis Hotel and Mamzar Beach.

In the past five years, RTA has retrofitted 149 abra engines, revamped abra dockyards and marinas and launched a 36-seater water bus.