Infrastructure 'is one of Dubai's great strengths'

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) believes that Dubai's impressive infrastructure is one of its major strengths.You would be forgiven for thinking an area that has grown from just 100,000 inhabitants to more than two million in little over four decades would have numerous problems when it came to road links and public transport networks.However, city planners have ensured that the emirate has not been overwhelmed by the sheer number of people moving there on a permanent basis.RTA figures published by Gulf News have shown that Dubai's road network now exceeds 12,403 lane kilometres (km). This grew by 1,300 km between 2010 and 2012 alone.Even when the global economy took a turn for the worse in 2008-09, the city continued to invest in its transport infrastructure and it is now reaping the rewards.Mattar Al Tayer, chairman of the board and executive director of the RTA, said the organisation has invested an incredible AED 68 billion into various projects since its inception in 2005."Today, one of the city's top strengths is its infrastructure," he was quoted as saying.As you would expect from such a forward-thinking metropolis, a number of ambitious road projects are currently in the pipeline.The RTA is focusing on the construction of interchanges on key roads and is also looking at ways to reduce congestion.Public footbridges are very important too and an ongoing contract will see 13 major walkways built in the emirate.As well as the excellent road links, Dubai is also renowned for its superb public transport.An estimated 108 million people used the city's buses in 2012 and the Dubai Metro is also proving increasingly popular.With more and more record-breaking skyscrapers and innovative buildings being erected this year, there is every chance that Dubai's population will expand even further within the next 12 months and it is crucial that the RTA continues to extend the city's public transport services to accommodate these extra people.