The Roads and Transport Authority in Dubai has managed to bring down its annual costs by Dh86 million through the adoption of a number of green initiatives.
Last year, the transport authority implemented 36 “energy and green economy initiatives” in a bid to reduce its electricity, water and fuel consumption.
The results of a new report showed that it saved 68 million kilowatt-hours of electricity, 55 million gallons of water, 21 million litres of gasoline, 1.8 million litres of diesel, and close to 86 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.
RTA Energy Analysis Report 2021 showed a decrease in the total energy consumption by 18 per cent, and gasoline consumption by 36 per cent
Mattar Al Tayer,
Roads and Transport Authority
It also diverted about 450,000 tonnes of waste from landfill through effective management practices.
“As compared to the average in the years from 2016 to 2019, RTA Energy Analysis Report 2021 showed a decrease in the total energy consumption by 18 per cent, and gasoline consumption by 36 per cent,” said Mattar Al Tayer, director general and chairman of the RTA's board of executive directors.
“This drop is attributed to the increased use of hybrid and electric taxis by Dubai Taxi Corporation, along with a 15 per cent decrease in diesel consumption, despite an increase in the public bus fleet.
“RTA has carried out a process to upgrade its old fleet of buses to replace them with modern buses equipped with eco-friendly Euro 6 engines, compatible with the European specifications for carbon emissions.”
The report also indicated an increase in electricity consumption by 11 per cent, as a result of the running of the 15-kilometre Dubai Metro Route 2020, which includes seven stations, that was opened to serve Expo 2020 Dubai.
A green future
RTA has accomplished more than 95 per cent of its green economy initiatives and projects, and future directions are guided by a range of factors, including soft and shared mobility, sustainable transport, circular economy, self-driving vehicles for passengers and goods, and developing services based on customer needs and future skills.
The transport authority has a well-defined roadmap that aims to achieve zero-emissions from public transport in Dubai by 2050.
Last year, RTA completed numerous road and bridge projects, including roads spanning 138 lane-kilometres with nine flyovers to serve Expo 2020 Dubai. It also opened additional public bus stations, pedestrian bridges, and cycling tracks to transform Dubai into a bicycle-friendly city.
European arms
Known EU weapons transfers to Ukraine since the war began: Germany 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles. Luxembourg 100 NLAW anti-tank weapons, jeeps and 15 military tents as well as air transport capacity. Belgium 2,000 machine guns, 3,800 tons of fuel. Netherlands 200 Stinger missiles. Poland 100 mortars, 8 drones, Javelin anti-tank weapons, Grot assault rifles, munitions. Slovakia 12,000 pieces of artillery ammunition, 10 million litres of fuel, 2.4 million litres of aviation fuel and 2 Bozena de-mining systems. Estonia Javelin anti-tank weapons. Latvia Stinger surface to air missiles. Czech Republic machine guns, assault rifles, other light weapons and ammunition worth $8.57 million.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Indika
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The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
ETFs explained
Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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