Regulation No. (2) of 2007 Regulating the Operation of Water Buses on Dubai Creek

Regulation No. (2) of 2007

Regulating the Operation of Water Buses on

Dubai Creek[1]

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We, Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Executive Council,

After perusal of:

Law No. (3) of 2003 Establishing the Executive Council of the Emirate of Dubai;

Law No. (17) of 2005 Establishing the Roads and Transport Authority;

Law No. (18) of 2006 Concerning Management and Realisation of the Public Funds of the Government of Dubai; and

Executive Council Resolution No. (8) of 2006 Establishing the Agencies Affiliated to the Roads and Transport Authority and Approving their Corporate and Organisational Structure,

Do hereby issue this Regulation.

Article (1)

This Regulation will be cited as “Regulation No. (2) of 2007 Regulating the Operation of Water Buses on Dubai Creek”.

Article (2)

The following words and expressions will have the meaning indicated opposite each of them unless the context implies otherwise:

Emirate:	The Emirate of Dubai.
RTA:	The Roads and Transport Authority.
Chairman of the Board of Directors:	The chairman of the board of directors of the RTA.
Agency:	The Marine Agency.
Water Bus:	A boat licensed by the RTA to transport passengers on Dubai Creek.
Station:	A place designated by the RTA for mooring and launching Water Buses on routes designated for transporting passengers.
Fare:	Approved fare payable in return for transporting passengers between Stations on any route.

Article (3)

The RTA will license, register, and operate Water Buses and determine their routes. The RTA may authorise any corporation or company to operate Water Buses in return for an amount collected by the RTA in accordance with the terms and standards stipulated in the implementing bylaw of this Regulation.

Article (4)

The RTA will:

1. license Water Bus operators and Water Bus skippers;

2. determine Water Bus routes, operating hours, and Stations for passenger embarkation and disembarkation;

3. buy, own, and charter Water Buses as required to transport passengers;

4. construct, own, equip, take lease of, and lease out Water Bus maintenance and repair workshops;

5. conduct the studies and adopt the practices required to design, build, operate, maintain, and manage Water Buses; and

6. enter into agreements and partnerships with persons, companies, and authorities in the field of passenger transport by Water Buses.

Article (5)

1. The RTA will charge the following fees:

- a Water Bus registration fee of nine thousand Dirhams (AED 9,000.00); and

- a Fare card issuance fee as prescribed in the implementing bylaw of this Regulation.

The implementing bylaw of this Regulation will determine the methods of collecting the above-mentioned fees.

2. The Fare per passenger for transport by Water Bus will be as follows:

- four Dirhams (AED 4.00) per one-way trip between two Stations; or

- twenty-five Dirhams (AED 25.00) per tourist round trip.

The RTA may, in accordance with the rules and standards adopted by it, increase the Fare without exceeding the approved Fare limit.

Article (6)

To be licensed and operated, a Water Bus must be insured under a comprehensive insurance policy against accidents, civil liability, and natural disasters. This insurance policy must be issued by an insurance company licensed in the Emirate.

Article (7)

The implementing bylaw of this Regulation will determine the conditions and rules governing the licensing, registration, operation, and use of Water Buses, including the technical requirements that must be met by Water Buses, in addition to the categories eligible for tourist trip discounts and the applicable discount rates.

Article (8)

The Agency may, in accordance with the rules determined by the implementing bylaw of this Regulation, assess the compensation for any damage to Water Buses, equipment, devices, or Stations, in addition to administrative fees.

Article (9)

The employees and inspectors of the RTA nominated pursuant to a resolution of the Chairman of the Board of Directors will have the capacity of law enforcement officers to record the acts committed in breach of the provisions of this Regulation, its implementing bylaw, and the resolutions issued in pursuance hereof. For this purpose, they may issue the necessary violation reports and fines.

Article (10)

Without prejudice to any stricter penalty stipulated in any other legislation, a person who violates any of the provisions of this Regulation or its implementing bylaw will be punished by the fine prescribed for such violation in Schedule (1) and Schedule (2) attached to this Regulation.

Article (11)

The fees and fines collected pursuant to this Regulation will be paid to the RTA.

Article (12)

The Chairman of the Board of Directors will issue the implementing bylaw and resolutions required for the implementation of the provisions of this Regulation.

Article (13)

This Regulation will be published in the Official Gazette and will come into force on the day on which it is published.

Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum

Chairman of the Executive Council

Issued in Dubai on 16 July 2007

Corresponding to 2 Rajab 1428 A.H.

Schedule (1)

Violations and Fines

Related to Water Bus Operators

SN	Violation	Fine (in Dirhams)	Additional Penalty
1	Operating an unlicensed or unregistered Water Bus, or operating a Water Bus without registration documents or licence	500.00	Suspension of the operation of the Water Bus
2	Operating a Water Bus by a person who does not hold a recognised skipper’s licence	500.00	-
3	Operating a Water Bus without a number plate	500.00	Suspension of the operation of the Water Bus
4	Operating a Water Bus more than one (1) month after expiry of the skipper’s licence or Water Bus registration documents	300.00	-
5	Illegibility of Water Bus number plate	200.00	-
6	Failure to produce the original skipper’s licence or original registration documents upon request	200.00	-
7	Using a Water Bus for other than the purposes stated in its licence	500.00	-
8	Failure to follow routes between Stations, or allowing passengers to embark on or disembark from a Water Bus at locations other than the approved Stations	500.00	-
9	Obstructing navigation on Dubai Creek	300.00	-
10	Negligence in the internal or external maintenance or cleanliness of Water Buses	200.00	-
11	Using Water Buses for fishing	200.00	-
12	Emission of black smoke from a Water Bus’s engine or exhaust	500.00	-
13	Failure to outfit a Water Bus with headlights, or failure to maintain safety equipment, such as life buoys, fire extinguishers, first aid kits, and hand torches	1,000.00	-
14	Loading any hazardous or combustible materials on board a Water Bus	600.00	-
15	Non-compliance with the instructions and directives of inspectors or competent officers	500.00	-
16	Non-compliance by a Water Bus skipper or his assistant with the uniform	500.00	-
17	Failure by a Water Bus skipper or his assistant to display his identification card	200.00	-
18	Making any modification to a Water Bus without prior written authorisation from the RTA	500.00	-

Schedule (2)

Violations and Fines

Related to Water Bus Passengers

SN	Violation	Fine (in Dirhams)
1	Smoking in a Water Bus or at any Station	500.00
2	Carrying any items or equipment that may cause harm to other passengers or endanger their safety	200.00
3	Acting or behaving in a manner that may cause distraction to a Water Bus skipper or obstruct his vision while operating the Water Bus	500.00
4	Using the emergency exit without prior instructions from the authorised person	200.00
5	Performing any act that results in littering the interior or exterior of a Water Bus	500.00
6	Selling or promoting, in any way, goods or commodities in a Water Bus	500.00
7	Standing or sitting in a place which is not designated for passenger use in a Water Bus	300.00
8	Refusal to disembark from a Water Bus upon request by the operator or inspector for any reason related to public safety or due to overload	200.00
9	Performing any act that may cause inconvenience to the other passengers of a Water Bus	200.00
10	Sitting in areas or seats designated for persons with special needs or for ladies	200.00
11	Failure to pay the prescribed Fare, or failure to keep the ticket until the end of a trip	200.00
12	Misuse of a Water Bus season ticket	200.00

[1]Every effort has been made to produce an accurate and complete English version of this legislation. However, for the purpose of its interpretation and application, reference must be made to the original Arabic text. In case of conflict the Arabic text will prevail.