The Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has inked a co-operation agreement with the Seoul Metropolitan Rapid Transit Corporation (SMRT) for exchanging expertise in various fields of the rail sector such as fares and ticketing system.

Through the MoU, the two parties will seek to enhance their partnership efforts to realize their ambitions and aspirations, and ensure reaping mutual benefits through charting out the framework of the partnership relationships and embedding a joint business culture, said Mattar Al Tayer, RTA board chairman and executive director, after signing the agreement with SMRT Corporation vice chairman Dong H. Kim.

Several top officials including the Consul General of the Republic of Korea were present at the signing ceremony.

Dong H. Kim said the MoU calls for boosting co-operation and exchanging expertise between the two parties in various fields of the rail sector spanning commercial development, management of quality, risks and safety, policies & regulations, asset & operations management, and financial systems & sustainable revenues.

The MoU also covers fares & ticketing policy through sharing knowledge in benchmarking studies as well as modern technologies in fare collection, he added.

Al Tayer said the two parties share several common objectives and have the potential of exchanging best expertise in public transport field, particularly as Korea has set out an amazing infrastructure model, especially in rail projects, rail maintenance and electronic systems, besides its rich knowhow in planning and scheduling bus trips.

"The MoU covers a host of fields relating to RTA’s transport business and is capable of uplifting the caliber of mass transit sector in Dubai. The RTA is seeking to upgrade the public transport sector in order to encourage the public to migrate from using private vehicles to mass transit modes,” he added.

These steps, he stated, will contribute to improving the performance of operations, simplifying procedures, improving customers’ service, maintaining communication to serve mutual interests, exchanging corporate expertise at all levels, and sharing information and studies related to the tasks and specialties of both parties.

Commending the Dubai Metro project, Dong H. Kim said it had brought about a quantum shift in the mobility across the region, besides adding a touch of elegance to the Dubai city, and providing an attractive transit means for the residents of the emirate.-TradeArabia News Service