Mott MacDonald, a leading engineering, management and development consultancy, has appointed Edward Forrester as the new planner for the company in the UAE.

He will be responsible for developing the consultancy’s future mobility transport advisory services across the Middle East, particularly its interaction with transport policy and economic and social impacts, said a statement from the company.

Forrester is an experienced future mobility expert who has worked on many projects across the Middle East. He joins Mott MacDonald from Atkins, where he was a project manager and engineer and has led or advised on projects for many Dubai government clients on self-driving and electric vehicle projects.

At Mott MacDonald, Forrester will be responsible for a range of future transport projects involving autonomous vehicle trials, electric vehicle roadmaps, policies around developing connected and autonomous vehicles and advising government on mobility as a service, said the statement.

He will work closely with Professor Glenn Lyons, who was recently appointed chair of the consultancy’s global future mobility initiative, it added.

Welcoming the appointment, Andy Stevenson, Mott MacDonald’s future mobility leader in the Middle East, said: "Forrester’s civil engineering background and passion for technology and sustainability gives him the ideal balance for understanding and applying existing engineering principles to exciting and emerging transport technologies."

"His experience will add significant skills, knowledge and expertise to our existing team so that we’re perfectly placed to support our clients, develop our staff and deliver solutions that are fit for the future," he noted.

Mott MacDonald has been at the forefront of future mobility transport systems in the UAE for the past 10 years. The consultancy is currently systems assurance representative for the Group Rapid Transport system at Bluewaters in Dubai, the first such system in the world which will link the island to the city’s metro system.

Meanwhile on Masdar, Mott MacDonald was the prime leading infrastructure design and transportation consultant for the masterplan which included personal rapid transport, light rail transit and a metro system. All integrated within the city, the scheme aimed to provide an alternative to cars driven on fossil fuels.

Mott MacDonald was also technical adviser to Nakheel on the Palm Jumeirah Monorail, said the statement from the company.

The consultancy reviewed and advised on the contractors testing and commissioning plans, as well as the technical and regulatory requirements for the delivery of the safety case to gain operational certification.

Additionally, Mott MacDonald was involved in all systems aspects and liaised with the monorail operator to ensure operational requirements were integral to the system design, it added.-TradeArabia News Service