Dubai – Mubasher: Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) on Monday announced that it has extended its contract with British company Serco to operate and maintain the metro transit system.
Ending in September 2021, the new contract valued at AED 680 million, the emirate’s state-run utility said in a statement.
Under the two-year deal, Serco will provide operational and maintenance services to both lines of the Dubai Metro, in addition to the under-construction Route 2020, which covers the 15-kilometre extension of the Red Line to the Expo 2020 site.
The new service is expected to be operated for trial by February 2019, RTA noted.
The contract also includes the operation and maintenance of all metro assets such as trains, railways, and stations.
The British operator will also provide passenger transit services according to daily demands, and maintain fare systems and collect the proceeds of selling, and recharging Nol Cards.
“The operation and maintenance by specialised companies reduce the operational costs of the metro as private businesses are able to provide high-quality service and performance at lower costs through continuous improvements and value engineering,” Mattar Al Tayer, director general and chairman of the RTA, commented on the deal.
He added that the newly-signed contract allows RTA to focus on its core responsibilities of developing legislation and overseeing implementation and enforcement.
