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HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of the Executive Council, recently honoured the winners of the fourth Dubai Award for Sustainable Transport (DAST), which is one of the initiatives rolled out by the RTA with the aim of motivating the public and private sectors to curb traffic congestion and conserve the environment.

Upon arriving at the ceremony venue at the Dubai World Trade Centre, HH Sheikh Hamdan was received by Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA as well as several heads of departments and organisations in the public and private sectors.

HH Sheikh Hamdan and the attendees watched a movie about DAST casting light on the efforts of Dubai to conserve the environment and natural wealth, and apply the principles of sustainable development, considering it a key element impacting the future and welfare of mankind.

HH Sheikh Hamdan, flanked by Al Tayer, decorated the winners of the award categories. DP World bagged the first position in the Mobility Management category for the Automatic Gate system project, ETA ASCON Dubai finished second for the Excellence in Mobility Assembly project, and Emirates NBD finished third for its Employee Sustainable Mobility initiative. In the Transport Safety category, Emirates Gas LLC scooped the first position for the Safety Enhancement Programme in transporting LPG cylinders, TNT Express was the runner-up for the Road Safety Management System project, and Total Co. finished third for the Integrated Sustainable Road Safety Methodology project.

HH Sheikh Hamdan also honoured the winners in the Environment Conservation category, in which Emirates Transport (Dubai Branch) finished first in the Conversion of Vehicles to use Natural Gas project, while Neutral Fuels LLC and McDonald’s UAE finished second for the converting of the McDonald’s transport and logistics fleet to use 100 per cent bio-fuel, and the Centre of Waste Management in Abu Dhabi finished third for its tyre recycling project. In the Disabled Mobility category, the Fujairah Rehabilitation Centre for the Disabled finished first for its Safe Arrival initiative, and the Social Services Department (Sharjah Elderly House) came second for the deployment of a dedicated and equipped bus for the elderly project to lift the elderly from their houses to their destinations.

HH Sheikh Hamdan also decorated the winners of the School Transport category, which was introduced in the third edition of the award, and in which the Gulf Indian High School in Dubai snatched the first position for the provision of secure and sustainable school transport. Al Mustaqbal School in Abu Dhabi was the runnerup for the My Bus, My Library project. In the Special Honour category, the Society of Engineers was the winner of the Best Media Coverage award.

HH Sheikh Hamdan then honoured the sponsors of DAST, namely Kassab Media, Du, Dubai World Trade Centre, Duty Free of Dubai Airport, Etihad Rail, the National Transport Authority, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, Emirates Roads Contracting Company, Qatar Insurance Company, Wipro, MAPA and Wade Adams Contracting Company. He also greeted the members of the award’s judging panel.

At the end of the ceremony, Al Tayer presented a commemorative trophy to HH Sheikh Hamdan, in recognition of the ongoing support accorded by him to the RTA and for patronising the award.

Al Tayer stated that DAST has achieved remarkable progress despite its short lifespan.

“The efforts of the Dubai Government, represented by the RTA, in improving the infrastructure of the transport sector have proved successful and effective. The public transport means in Dubai are becoming vital for the daily movement of residents and visitors. The number of public transport users in 2011 surpassed 346.5 million people, and the daily ridership of mass transit systems clocked 963,000 people last year,” said Al Tayer.