Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has been allocated a Dh7.6-billion ($2.07 billion) budget for this year with the lion’s share set aside for rail development.

While an amount of Dh3.913 billion ($1.06 billion) has been earmarked for operational expenditures, a total of Dh3.696 billion ($1 billion) will be spent on 55 infrastructure projects comprising 12 new road schemes and 43 ongoing developments, said Mattar Al Tayer, the director-general and chairman of the board of executive directors of RTA.

“The aggregate anticipated revenues for this year amount to Dh7.5 billion ($2 billion) marking a 14 per cent increase over last year,” stated Al Tayer.

Giving details of the breakdown, the top official said 37 per cent of the budget would be allocated to the rail sector, 31 per cent to the traffic and roads, 10 per cent to public transport, four per cent for licensing agency, and 18 per cent to supporting sectors at the RTA.

According to Al Tayer, some of the key projects set for completion this year include Dubai Water Canal (by the year end), the Union Museum in addition to the upgrading of Wafi Interchange, Umm Al Sheef and Latifa bint Hamdan roads junction on Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai International Airport junctions, Al Shindagha Hub, Al Wasl and Jumeirah Roads, entries to Al Awir Road and International City, and cycling and running tracks (covering multiple areas of Dubai).

The new projects are widening of Latifa bint Hamdan Road, Parallel Roads, improvement of the Seventh Interchange of Sheikh Zayed Road and Seih Assalam Road (Phase Two), he added.-TradeArabia News Service