Dubai Travel » Service

Dubai Government Service Delivery Model To Be Generalized To All RTA Strategic Services

Editor — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 21:52:45 +0000

The Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) decided to generalize the Dubai Government Service Delivery Model to all its strategic services delivered to customers and as such will be the first government entity to apply the Dubai Model to all its service since the initiative was launched last November.

H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA, said: "Generalizing the Dubai Model methodology to all RTA services stems from RTA’s belief in the vitality of the Dubai Model; which basically aims at upgrading the level of government services, achieving customer centricity and improving the quality of services delivered by the Dubai Government in a way that goes beyond the needs of customers and at the least possible costs. It also comes in the light of the positive and viable results of the experimental application of the unified Nol Card system; which is nominated to be the first service to apply the Model as it is vitally linked to several objectives of the Dubai Emirate in general and RTA in particular. A large number of Nol Cards is circulated among a wide segment of mass transport users through the service e-portal as well as the selling outlets.

Moreover, there is a wide base for the service beneficiaries compared to other services, the Nol card is upgradeable in a short time, the deliverables are easily measured, and there are documented processes and key performance indictors to gauge the efficiency of processes.

"Over the past six months, RTA has applied the Model to Nol service; where three service improvement initiatives have been undertaken which included a marketing campaign of Nol Card, adding new channels for topping-up the balance through RTA portal, and re-engineering the service delivery process with a view to enhancing the performance rate and reducing the operational cost of the service. The initial results of applying the Model were excellent as they were close to meeting the customer expectations of the service, and contributed to raising customer satisfaction rating to 80% and the rate is likely to increase further in the near future. It also resulted in higher service effectiveness, accelerating the processing of service-related transactions, dropping of potential errors, and reducing the overall operational costs."

"RTA is always committed to deliver best-in-class services to customers at high quality standards and at the required speed. The commitment to implement the quality standards serves multiple benefits such as sorting out problems effectively, promoting inter-employee cooperation, building good reputation, and increasing the competitiveness between employees to achieve excellence; which in turn will result in higher productivity and improved quality of deliverables to customers," said Al Tayer.

RTA Chairman of the Board and Executive Director praised the efforts of the Dubai Executive Council in upgrading the caliber of the Dubai Government services, and also hailed the project supervisors who have contributed to training and qualifying RTA improvement teams on the application of Dubai Model methodologies.

It is worth-mentioning that the Dubai Government Services Delivery Model initiative is the first of its kind worldwide in implementing an integrated model for delivering government services. The initiative comprises three major components that function concurrently as an integrated system designed to assist the government bodies with the delivery of high-class government services; which include the Model Document, Practical Applications in the Five Strategic Sectors of Dubai Government, and a package of Manuals including key service delivery tools to support the implementation by government bodies. Five government entities have been selected for running the trial phase of the initiative, namely: The General HQ of Dubai Police, RTA, Dubai Municipality, Lands and Properties Dep’t and Community Development Authority.

ENOC Opens Middle East’s First ‘Green’ Service Station

Editor — Sun, 29 May 2011 11:08:23 +0000

Emirates National Oil Company (ENOC) has launched the first ’green service station’ in the Middle East at the Emirates Hills neighbourhood in Dubai. Underscoring the commitment of the company to the sustainable development initiatives of the UAE, the new eco-friendly service station has a range of unique features all aimed at reducing the ecological footprint of the users.

Among the innovative green initiatives at the station are advanced technological devices to contain petrol fumes released at the pump, and a variety of other state-of-the-art systems, including solar-powered lighting, a ‘waterless’ car-washing system, new waste segregation systems, and design upgrades to reduce noise pollution.

Saeed Abdullah Khoory, ENOC’s Chief Executive Officer, said: "The first green station of ENOC complements the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai to drive sustainable development with a focus on the environment."

He added: "With the opening of the station, we are setting a trend not only in the UAE but also across the Middle East. We are encouraging Dubai residents to reduce their environmental footprints by using the green services we provide. The green station underscores the core values ENOC upholds, which includes a steadfast commitment to society."

The station generates half of its energy requirements from renewable sources. The site uses Solar Powered Pole and LED lights, with a long life span of up to 50,000 hours and low voltage safe against electrical fire hazards. These lamps do not need to be replaced for up to 12 years. The service station will also use sensor type water taps and two-stage flush systems in the toilets.

Sustainable water features have also been installed to cut water consumption by a quarter. The new service station recycles carwash water and also provides customers the option to use a waterless car wash system, which cleans car without using a single drop of water.

The waterless car wash concept saves water and prevents detergents from polluting the environment with its new ‘No-Wet’ technique, an all-in-one eco-friendly car wash liquid. Made from all natural ingredients, the product does not contain petroleum distillates, silicone, abrasives, harmful chemicals or detergents that pollute water.

Zaid Al Qufaidi, Chief Executive Officer, Retail Business Stream of ENOC/EPPCO, said: “The ENOC ‘green’ station is the first of many eco-friendly stations that the company aims to build in the future. We are excited that we can lessen environmental impact every time customers use our services. Our trained staff will also encourage customers to take small but significant steps to adopt a greener lifestyle, by promoting recycling and using the waterless carwash.”

ENOC has also invested in an extensive training programme for its staff at the service station. Retailers have also been selected on the basis of their commitment to the environment. Al Qufaidi added: “We followed stringent procedures for the selection of our retail partners to increase the station’s sustainability.”

ENOC will also equip the new green service station with the latest waste management systems, including a garbage segregation system that provides colour coded bins for easier recycling. Moreover, all the furniture used will be from recycled materials, and used lubricants oil will be collected and disposed.

The green service station reduces noise, through an integrated sound barrier on the compound wall. The station will also feature a centralised vacuum system to support power conservation and reduce waste and noise.

ENOC’s environmentally-friendly engine oils PROTEC Green for gasoline engines and VULCAN Green for diesel engines will be available. Both are designed to ensure longer life span for vehicles and lower levels of greenhouse gas emissions.

The green Very Low Sulfur Diesel (VLSD) will also be available at the service station. This innovative diesel contains 10 times less sulfur than the standard one, which means a cleaner engine for cars and a cleaner environment.

Other key environmentally-friendly products include Hiclone fuel-saving devices. When installed on the vehicle, Hiclone improves fuel economy and engine efficiency while helping decrease air and noise pollution. Hiclone can decrease carbon footprint by 60 percent, as it reduces incomplete combustion and harmful emissions. It can also enhance the towing efficiency, reduce fuel consumption by 20 percent, and add 10 percent to the car’s power. Moreover, the uniform movement of the pistons minimizes engine noise and prevents abnormal abrasion.

In addition, ENOC’s new service station will only use biodegradable plastic bags, like all the existing ENOC/EPPCO service stations.

Dubai Metro Service To Continue Up To 3 Am On The Eve Of New Years Day

Editor — Sat, 28 May 2011 22:28:11 +0000

Roads & Transport Authority – Manal Khalid: The Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) has announced that the Dubai Metro service hours on Friday 31/12/2010 will continue up to 03.00 am of the following day on the occasion of the start of the New Year. Accordingly, the final train will depart from Ibn Battuta Station and Al Rashidiya Station at 02.00 am, and the service hours of public buses, water bus, abras and water taxi will be extended likewise as stated above.

“This change comes in response to the public desire to have the metro service hours extended during the New Year’s Day; which will be marked by a variety of activities, including the massive fireworks display at Burj Khalifa; which is set to attract thousands of visitors,” said Adnan Al Hamadi, CEO of RTA Rail Agency.

“This initiative is intended to serve the public who wish to have the service continue through late night hours as they intend to visit several places and centers served by the Red Line of the Dubai Metro. RTA always seeks to serve the needs of various community segments as far as safe and smooth mobility within Dubai is concerned. This is particularly relevant as the Metro is perceived by the public as a key transport mode, offering speedy access to vital places in Dubai,” added Al Hamadi.

The CEO of RTA Rail Agency congratulated the UAE citizens, residents and visitors on the advent of the New Year, hoping it would be marked by pleasure and achievements at all levels.

RTA Customers Council Explores With Government Service Providers Standardizing Procedures Of Traffic Roads Agency

Editor — Fri, 27 May 2011 21:10:11 +0000

In its 15th meeting, the Customers Council of the Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) discussed with the customers of Traffic & Roads Agency, including representatives of government service providers in Dubai, several issues through which the Council seeks to serve as a point of contact between the Agency and other organizations. The aim of the meeting was to bring about a string of holistic suggestions and views on the improvement of roads and their associated services in the Emirate. The meeting was chaired by Mohammed Obaid Al Mulla, RTA CEO, Board Member, and Chairperson of Customers Council; and attended by Dr. Aysha Al Busmait, Director of Customers Service, and a number of officials of the Traffic and Roads Agency in addition to government entities and members of the Customers Council.

Opening the meeting, Mohammed Obaid Al Mulla commended the role of various government service entities and their continuing support with solutions and programs aimed at developing and boosting services of roads and public transport network. He emphasized that RTA would continue to exert further strenuous efforts to promote the standard of services provided to the public to bring them at par with the highest international standards across a broad range of specialties.

The Chairperson of the Customers Council said: “Through the Call Center, which comprises a team of distinguished staff members, RTA’s Call Center will receive various reported cases, complaints and suggestions from the public, estimated at nearly 5,000 calls per day. Via the Customer Relations Management (CRM) system, it will also continue to interact with the concerned departments within RTA in order to address these calls and communicate with the relevant community- entities as regards the re-consideration of filed complaints.” He added that this system had resulted in a notable contribution to the efforts made to address the reported cases in a clear-cut manner.

Meanwhile, in a visual presentation he made before the attendants, Rashed Al Falasi shed light on RTA’s strategic goals in general and the roles and responsibilities entrusted to the Roads Department. He pointed out that the Roads Department was engaged in achieving 3 strategic goals out of 8 concerned with making public transport user-friendly, encouraging the public to use mass transit modes, and maintaining the environmental safety & sustainability by reducing the rate of accidents & fatalities, and minimizing the adverse environmental impact of public transport & private vehicles to the least possible level.

During his presentation, Al Falasi tackled various duties of the Roads Department, indicating that such duties included issuing NOC certificates for all infrastructure works in Dubai, rationalizing spending on road projects, programming the implementation of external bodies projects based on their approved schedules, designing and constructing roads as well as landscaping & lighting projects, ensuring the construction of a modern road network equipped with state-of-the-art systems & technology and designed to the best global standards, and regularly evaluating roads network using the best-in-class international technologies.

Afterwards the Head of Roads Landscaping Section, Traffic and Roads Agency discussed the reports and complaints submitted to the Call Center with regard to Traffic and Roads Agency. These reports and complaints touched on several issues such as the limited access to residential areas where road projects were being constructed, the damage incurred by vehicles and residential areas as a result of the ongoing works and other projects, and the inconvenience caused by contractors and road projects machinery, in addition to the damage they cause to sidewalks and landscaped areas in the frontages in the course of project construction.

The key queries and requests submitted by the public focused on the importance of lighting residential areas, repainting bridges through redecorating tunnels, redesigning street lampposts and dedicating parking lots for private organizations as well as the public.

Next, the representatives of government service providers offered several suggestions in an effort to standardize the common objectives of their businesses with the Traffic Roads Agency business in order to deliver the required works on schedules. Among the observations made by a representative of a service provider were the lacking street humps in some residential areas in Dubai, which were considered quite necessary for residents’ safety. Despite the fact that these streets have a speed limit of no more than 60 kilometers per hour, the majority of motorists drive up to 120 kilometers per hour, which poses a major threat to all parties.

In this context, Al Mulla said: “The Traffic and Roads Agency has a dedicated work team which pays regular site visits and is aware of the importance of such street humps in residential districts. On the other hand, Al Mulla noted that the existence of these speed humps may, in some cases, might trigger accidents and injuries even severer than the lack of having them.

Another customer stated that significant damage had been inflicted to some streets in residential projects constructed by mega property developers, which also assume the responsibility of building roads and other construction operations; citing a negative practice that warranted reconsideration and called for all roads and streets in Dubai to be overseen by the RTA. In this context, the Chairperson of RTA Customer Council noted that a study was underway considering the affiliation of all roads and streets in Dubai to a specialized entity, particularly noting that these suggestions had been discussed during several past meetings held by companies undertaking construction projects in Dubai in order to standardize the specifications of all roads and streets to bring them in line with the highest international standards. He added that RTA was coordinating with all concerned authorities in the UAE with regard to the standardization of streets and roads specifications such that the standards in place had to be consistent all over the UAE.

During the meeting, a suggestion was offered to the custodians of Customer Relations Management System (CRM) requiring them to refer any reports or complaints to the various associated service providers, such as Etisalat, so as to clarify any ambiguity and avoid future actions or errors. Another suggestion was also offered to set up an office at the RTA to issue unified No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to all government entities in order to uplift the service level, and speed up & simplify the processing and delivery of services in the interests of all parties. A further suggestion called for reviewing the procedures and standards applicable in the advanced countries with respect to issuing NOCs in order to apply the best practices at RTA.

RTA Reviews Metro Service Improvement With Dubai Metro Customers

Editor — Wed, 25 May 2011 19:57:03 +0000

The Customers Council of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has held its 17th gathering with the strategic partners and customers of the Rail Agency to discuss holistic matters related to the Dubai Metro service, ranging from the station and through the journey; as part of RTA endeavours to improve the public transport network in Dubai. The gathering was held in the presence of RTA Board Member, CEO and Chairperson of Customers Council Mohammed Obaid Al Mulla, CEO of Rail Agency Adnan Al Hammadi, Director of Customers Service Dr. Aysha Al Busmait, Director of Rail Operation Ramadan Abdullah, and a number of Council members and customers.

Mohammed Obaid Al Mulla welcomed the attendants describing them as the base for the success of any future initiative or project. “Through this communicative platform, we can manage to upgrade all services relating to RTA in general and the Dubai Metro in particular; the newest addition to the RTA transport means, and RTA is very keen on focusing attention on the project such that it will remain as the favourite destination of the public of different ages and groups.

“This gathering cements the relationships between all the concerned parties and boosts the ongoing drive of adopting best-in-class practices aligned with world-class standards. The Customers Council is viewed as a bridge linking all RTA officials and external customers and a platform for communicating all views and feedbacks with the aim of figuring out suitable solutions in an environment offering the freedom of expression oriented towards improving the services rendered,” said Al Mulla.

For his part the Director of Rail Operation, Ramadan Abdullah made a visual presentation highlighting the key objectives of the Rail Agency, and delivered general information about the Red and Green Metro Lines; be it through a number of maintenance workshops in respect of each line, preparation of stations, presenting a prototype illustrating the external and internal body of the Dubai Metro, and the partitioning of carriages and colour schemes adopted.

Afterwards the gathering engaged in discussions between the concerned Agency staff and the strategic partners as well as the metro customers with the aim of identifying the key needs. A suggestion was made calling for reconsidering the metro operation timings especially during weekends and official holidays such that it extends up to 01.00 am. Another suggestion was made about taking measures capable of reducing the transit time from Al Rashidiya Station to Ibn Battuta Station and accelerating the metro speed as the trip currently takes about 75 minutes. There was also a suggestion for the introduction of a one-day Nol card.

The metro customers shed light on the importance of having entertainment means on board the metro cars such as running radio transmission to check news, music and ads as well as educative campaigns offering more education to the public. A suggestion was made calling for utilizing the on board speakers and monitors to promote commercial campaigns, utilizing the monitors to educate the public through displaying the metro journey details, operation timings, Nol cards and procedures and regulations enforced against offenders.

There was also a call for reconsidering the entry and exit of passengers from and to the metro in order to avoid congestion and disrupting the movement in the area. Another suggestion was made for placing giant screens outside the metro stations educating the public on the key locations in the vicinity of the station such as mosques and hospitals among other destinations of concern to travelers and tourists.

One customer made a suggestion for deploying buses featuring the metro logo to be run from 01.00 am to 06.00 am shuttling through the same metro lines as alternative to the metro during the period of no metro service.

Another suggestion was made calling for revising the fare through offering a reduced night fare in order to make it a suitable alternative for the public, particularly after ceasing the operation of the metro and bus service. A suggestion was made calling for coordination with the Dubai Health Authority to deploy some first aid specialists such that they are constantly available at stations and on board the metro cars. This could be achieved through training and qualifying a group of staff who could be visibly distinctive and easily recognizable. A suggestion was made to give more concentration on educating the students of lower /elementary school grades on the significance and positivity of public transport with the aim of fostering an educated generation appreciative of the importance of public transport and capable of keeping pace with the social and living developments in future.

At the end of the gathering, Adnan Al Hamadi stressed the importance of suggestions and feedbacks made in the gathering; which, he says, reflect the extent of public response to the metro services and the genuine desire to have the metro service level hiked, considering it the ideal transit means for all members of the community judging by the results which reflect the current trend of rising community members using the metro; which in itself is a testament to the increased awareness of the importance of using various means of public transport. Al Hammadi pointed out that all statistics and information will be taken into consideration as they are generated from our strategic partners who have the priority in adopting their views.

Al Mulla stated that all suggestions made by all customers and strategic partners will be taken into consideration and communicated to the senior management for review, studying and implementing those ones which are appropriate and in line with RTA strategies and drive, particularly noting that most of these suggestions are constructive and may contribute to the betterment of the metro service, he concluded.

Public Transport Agency Launches New Feeder Bus Service At JAFZA

Editor — Wed, 25 May 2011 08:44:15 +0000

The Director of Business Development, Public Transport Agency at Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Mohammed Abu Baker Al Hashimi revealed that the Agency has launched on March 11 a new feeder bus service shuttling between Jebel Ali Metro Station and the southern part of the Jebel Ali Free Zone Area.

"The new Route (F54), will start off Jebel Ali Metro station at the southern part of the Jebel Ali Free Zone Area to serve workers and employees of JAFZA arriving at the said station; rendering the internal mobility within the Free Zone Area an effective, smooth and speedy exercise," said Al Hashimi.

"RTA is keen on expanding and improving public transport network to keep pace with the urban expansion of Dubai Emirate. The feeder bus service of the Dubai Metro is one of the strategic initiatives and key pillars of integrating the public transport network in the Emirate beside raising the percentage of trips made by public transport modes through enticing all community segments to use them in their daily travels; which will have positive repercussions on spreading the culture of using mass transit modes in the community.

"Bus Route (F 54) starts from Jebel Ali Metro station and passes across about 30 companies & entities based in JAFZA such as Globelink West Star Shipping LLC, PharmaCare, John Crane Middle East, and Al Ras Steel Trading FZCO to eventually reach the southern part of JAFZA.

Dubai FDI, DHL Launch Fully Automated DHL SERVICE POINT 24/7 in Dubai as Part of City Logistics Partnership

Editor — Sat, 21 May 2011 17:00:46 +0000

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, April 12, 2011/PRNewswire/ —- Dubai FDI of the Department of Economic Development (DED) in association with DHL Express, the world leading express company, has launched five fully automated DHL SERVICE POINT 24/7 outlets in Dubai as part of a pilot project. Dubai is the first city outside Germany selected to host pilot deployment of this DHL-developed technology
— Automated pick-up and drop-off outlets operating 24/7 provide consumers, SMEs and other businesses ultimate convenience and flexibility while also reducing carbon footprint

Dubai FDI of the Department of Economic Development (DED) in association with DHL Express, the world leading express company, has launched five fully-automated DHL SERVICE POINT 24/7 outlets in Dubai as part of a pilot project. The joint initiative is aimed at elevating Dubai’s logistics capacity through the development of innovations that drive efficiencies within the industry sector.

The initiative stems from the City Logistics program developed by DHL’s innovation unit, DHL Solutions & Innovations (DSI) in partnership with the DED in 2009. In the launch phase, the DHL SERVICE POINT 24/7 can potentially yield a combined carbon reduction of 80 tons per annum. In the expanded phase the reduction in carbon is expected to rise to 280 tons per year. H.E Sami Al Qamzi, Director General, DED said, \\\”Dubai is an inspiring model for sustainable business growth, a centre for global trade. To further scale up the competencies and competitiveness of Dubai, and to reiterate the city’s position as the hub of the Middle East, several concerted efforts are being made to strengthen all aspects of the economy. The logistics sector plays a vital role in growing our economy and the commencement of ground-breaking services such as DHL SERVICE POINT 24/7 cements Dubai’s position as a pioneer and thought-leader in the region.\\\”

\\\”Dubai is the first city outside of Germany to pilot the deployment of DHL SERVICE POINT 24/7 and DHL is proud to be leading the introduction of new logistics innovations to our customers in the UAE, in collaboration with the Department of Economic Development,\\\” said Frank-Uwe Ungerer, Country Manager, DHL Express United Arab Emirates. \\\”In addition to harnessing the power of technology to improve logistics solutions, DHL SERVICE POINT 24/7 offers our customers more flexibility and convenience to help maintain their competitive advantage.\\\”

\\\”The logistics sector plays a key role in driving the sustainable growth of Dubai. As the hub for the global logistics, we have already set international best practices in the industry, and DHL SERVICE POINT 24/7 highlights how competitive economic activity can be successfully interfaced with sustainability, especially in areas related to Carbon reduction. The deployment of the automated outlets further underscores the commitment of Dubai FDI to promote investments in all key growth sectors and thus strengthen Dubai’s competitiveness,\\\” said Mr Fahad Al Gergawi, CEO of Dubai FDI.

Created in Germany by DHL, SERVICE POINT 24/7 is a pioneering urban logistics solution in the form of a secure stand-alone outlet that gives customers the convenience and flexibility of collecting and dropping-off their shipments whenever it suits. DHL has been using these service points in Germany since 2001. Today, there are more than 2,500 service points in Germany and around one and half million customers use them frequently.

The DHL SERVICE POINT 24/7 pilot is the second initiative of the City Logistics program, targeted at three areas critical to Dubai’s growth: reducing congestion, improving convenience and minimizing carbon footprint. This follows the successful initiative led by DED in 2010 in developing the UAE’s first carbon neutral warehouse at Dnata Cargo’s FreightGate-5 (Note 1). Dubai FDI of the Department of Economic Development (DED) in association with DHL Express, the world leading express company, has launched five fully-automated DHL SERVICE POINT 24/7 outlets in Dubai as part of a pilot project. Dubai is the first city outside Germany selected to host pilot deployment of this DHL-developed technology The introduction of this automated first and last mile delivery concept in the UAE is a breakthrough in logistics technology, designed to offer a simple but sustainable shipping service for individual consumers, SME customers from a wide range of industries, as well as enterprises such as banks, embassies and government offices.

DHL’s Frank-Uwe Ungerer added: \\\”Innovations such as the DHL SERVICE POINT 24/7 bring to life DHL’s strategy to be ’The Logistics Company for the World’ by demonstrating our commitment to delivering simplified services and sustainable solutions to our customers.

Emirates Aeromobile Service Set To Reach 5 Million Users

Editor — Sat, 21 May 2011 06:00:33 +0000

Emirates’ inflight mobile phone service provider AeroMobile, is expected to register its five millionth user next week.

The world’s leading airline for mobile phone services onboard, Emirates has seen a 38 percent increase in passengers switching on their mobile phones and connecting to the service in the last 12 months.

The AeroMobile system allows passengers to use their own mobile phones to make and receive phone calls and text messages from Emirates aircraft in flight, just as they would on the ground. Over 220 Emirates flights per day currently offer the AeroMobile service.

“Since AeroMobile was introduced on our flights in March 2008, we have witnessed a remarkable rise in passenger usage. Reaching the five million user mark is a significant milestone for Emirates and showcases exactly how popular the service has become,” said Patrick Brannelly, Emirates Vice President Corporate Communications Product, Publishing, Digital and Events.

“Use of wireless mobile communications is growing at an incredible speed across the world, taking over from the traditional wired methods of yesterday. People like to be connected, even at 30,000 feet. AeroMobile gives people the flexibility to switch on their mobiles during a flight and, if they wish to, make a call or send an sms. Using a mobile phone on an Emirates flight is now an everyday occurrence for our passengers and it’s a service they have come to expect from us,” added Brannelly.

During the last year Emirates witnessed a 42 percent growth in passengers sending and receiving sms from their phone and an 11 percent growth in phone calls. Throughout this period, customers also continued to use Emirates’ existing inseat phone and messaging services.

In 2010 the highest number of phones switched on during a single flight was 227, with up to 65 percent of passengers often switching on their phones. Adding to its already robust inflight offering Emirates will soon introduce a GPRS data capability allowing the use of BlackBerry type devices on some aircraft.

Currently Emirates has 85 aircraft installed with the AeroMobile system, operating to over 85 destinations. An average of two Emirates aircraft are fitted with the system each month.

Clients Win From RTA Service Improvements

Editor — Fri, 20 May 2011 05:34:42 +0000

Dubai citizens are turning to the new service channels that the RTA Licensing Agency launched in 2010. The new channels are Online, RTA’s Call Centre and Trusted Agents.

It is now possible to apply for 23 Licensing Agency services, such as vehicle registration and driver license renewal, Online or through the RTA Call Centre. Some services such as vehicle registration renewal can be obtained from approved vehicle insurers called Trusted Agents.

Since the new service channels started in 2010 over 5,000 people have obtained Licensing Agency products through the new channels. In 2011 the Licensing Agency plans to roll out a further 20 services through the new service channels.

"Dubai citizens are finding out that there is no need to visit RTA’s centres for most Licensing Agency services. Our services can be obtained Online or through the RTA Call Centre any time, any where in only a few minutes," according to Ahmed Bahrozyan Licensing Agency CEO.

"One success story the Licensing Agency heard was of the client who renewed his vehicle registration on his IPad from home," he said

The Agency is currently expanding its Trusted Agent network with more vehicle insurers being approved to renew vehicle registrations for clients, with Orient Insurance being the latest approved insurer.

"The Agency is introducing Trusted Agent-Opticians in the coming weeks who will renew drivers’ licenses for clients. There are no additional charges to clients who use Trusted Agents to renew Agency products, so it’s a very convenient service, added Bahrozyan.

Du Seeks To Promote Better Living With Health Text Service Beginning With Quitsmoke

Editor — Wed, 18 May 2011 19:01:04 +0000

Addressing some of the most common but chronic health issues prevalent in the UAE, du today announced the launch of Health Text service, a bouquet of SMS text based service that will provide tips, suggestions, factoids and advice for leading a better and healthy lifestyle. The very first initiative is QuitSmoke – for customers to get text messages and tips that motivate and prompt them to perform day to day actions that will help them quit smoking. This service is being provided in association with PurpleTeal, Inc., a US based health services provider.

The service is available in both English and Arabic language. du mobile customers can subscribe to QuitSmoke service by simply texting “QS” (“QSA” for Arabic) to 5544, once subscribed customers start receiving three QuiteSmoke tips per day. For a small fraction of the cost of a pack of cigarettes, ( only AED1 per day), subscribers can get assistance to help them stop smoking and develop long term smoking avoidance habits. QuitSmoke is eight week programme and can be renewed in additional eight-week periods.

“People in general are becoming increasingly conscious of health and wellness, and as a telecom service provider we can leverage our network – the fastest network in the region, and our growing customer base of over 4 million, to act as an interface between those who have health-related needs and health care providers – in order to promote healthy living. We have plans to further enlarge the scope of such health initiatives, which we will announce in due course,”said Farid Faraidooni, Chief Commercial Officer, du.

This service and its contents are approved by the Ministry of Health, UAE and they are happy with the scientific content of these messages and believe that it will help people to live a healthier life.

“PurpleTeal is delighted to go live with this groundbreaking service for du customers.” added Narayanan Ram, CEO of PurpleTeal. “du has taken the lead in bringing this novel service to its customers. We look forward to helping their customers quit smoking.”

du is working on introducing a set of healthy living service offerings under Health Text to the market that will be using the latest technology and ensure its alignment with critical national health priorities and emerging customer needs. du is working closely with the Ministry of Health and other health departments and will continue to provide services and solutions that help in the overall improvement of health and wellness in the UAE.

The unique QuitSmoke service embeds the principles of awareness, preparation, action and repetition in order to delink smoking from triggering events. The service sends daily SMS messages with hints, tips, information and alerts to help smokers stay focused on quitting, and on dealing with cravings, urges and withdrawal symptoms, as well as tips and hints to avoid triggers and remain smoke-free.