Dubai: RTA (Dubai Roads and Transport Authority)has completed 10 out of 16 planned truck rest stops in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC).
These stops are strategically located along key roads in Dubai: Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, Emirates Road, Dubai-Hatta Road, Dubai-Al Ain Road, Jebel Ali-Lehbab Road, and Al Awir Road. The facilities span over 75,000 square meters, providing more than 700 parking slots and accommodating over 5,000 trucks and heavy vehicles.
Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of RTA, emphasized the safety benefits. “Constructing these facilities reduces truck-related incidents by 50% and improves traffic flow during truck ban periods. They also prevent trucks from parking on main roads and in residential areas, offering drivers a place to rest during traffic bans.”
The rest stops feature service areas, prayer rooms, diesel refueling stations, and restrooms for drivers. Each rest area covers 5,000 to 10,000 square meters, accommodating 30 to 45 trucks and heavy vehicles.
Al Tayer highlighted the strategic placement of these stops to maximize their effectiveness and support the land transport sector. “The locations were chosen based on standards and technical studies to serve the maximum number of trucks daily. This ensures safe entrances and exits, minimizes impact on residential areas, and efficiently distributes rest areas along highways.”
He also praised the public-private partnership in infrastructure projects. “Collaboration with the private sector allows for improved public services and facilitates knowledge transfer and innovation,” Al Tayer noted. The partnership with ADNOC enhances Dubai’s position as a global logistics hub and improves driver safety and well-being by providing essential amenities.
In 2023, RTA and ADNOC signed an agreement to construct and operate an integrated truck rest area near Emirates Road, adjacent to Al Tayy Racetrack. This facility, covering over 76,000 square meters, can accommodate 150 vehicles and offers diesel refueling, a motel for drivers, maintenance workshops, restaurants, and various support services.
RTA’s commitment to the land transport sector is evident through comprehensive studies of truck movements in Dubai. These studies include field surveys, interviews, and workshops, resulting in a Predictive Modelling Framework to forecast future truck movements and assess the need for additional infrastructure like dry ports and commodities collection centers.
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