The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) will adopt seven initiatives to mark the Year of Giving, in 2017.

Mattar Al Tayer, director-general and chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA, referred to the UAE’s designation of 2017 as the Year of Giving as one that is in line with the charitable drives initiated by the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who reached out to the needy across the globe.

“In keeping with the noble values of the UAE community, which give huge weight to the social responsibility and cooperative spirits among community members and organisations, RTA has approved seven initiatives that span a wide array of charitable activities related to culture, education, philanthropy, donations and benevolence in public transport fields,” said Al Tayer.

The RTA will take part in the Global Contributions initiative, where it will donate some of its used assets to assist students in a number of poor countries with the provision of school buses and bicycles to facilitate school transportation.

This initiative is coordinated with international charitable organisations such as the Unicef and the UNHCR.

Another initiative on the RTA’s agenda is the Charitable STEPS, set to take place on the sidelines of Public Transport Day on 1 November.

The initiative, which aims to encourage the culture of volunteering, will urge people to use the stairs in two Dubai metro stations rather than the available escalators. The RTA will donate a specific amount to each person who participates in the initiative.

The RTA will also hold a six-month prepaid training programme for 30 fresh graduates, who will be coached on ways to tackle professional life. The programme will expose them to the professional world by training them at RTA’s main divisions such as finance, marketing, customer service, and innovation. Trainees will be given a work experience certificate at the end of the programme.

Another RTA initiative includes the Wheelchair programme, aimed to empower disabled children by providing one wheelchair a month, which costs AED 20,000, to a centre for special needs.

The RTA will also take part in the Dubai Engage programme launched by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce, to urge businesses to encourage their employees to participate in charitable activities during their working hours.

Around 118 members and 40 community partners will be a part of the programme, which will reward employees with an official volunteering leave to take part in a charitable cause.

The RTA is also launching the Dirham of Benevolence, a donation channel for RTA employees and motorists renewing their vehicles or issuing a driver’s licence.

The programme also offers a chance for NOL card users to donate one dirham upon the completion of any transaction at the RTA.

Other initiatives include the RTA’s Charity Bridge initiative, which will support the Food Bank, and the Read More initiative that works with the ‘Read with RTA’ app, to provide different types of audio books.

RTA initiatives for the Year of Giving 2017

1. The Global Contributions initiative: Will assist students in a number of poor countries with the provision of school buses and bicycles to facilitate school transportation.

2. The Charitable STEPS initiative: Will urge people to use the stairs in two Dubai metro stations rather than the available escalators to raise donations.

3. Training programme: A six-month prepaid training programme for 30 fresh graduates who will be coached on ways to tackle professional life and trained at RTA.

4. The Wheelchair programme: Aimed to empower disabled children by providing one wheelchair a month, which costs Dh20,000, to a centre for special needs.

5. Dubai Engage programme: Urges businesses to encourage their employees to participate in charitable activities during the working hours.

6. Dirham of Benevolence programme: A donation channel for RTA employees and motorists renewing their vehicles or issuing a driver’s licence.

7. Charity Bridge initiative: Will support the Food Bank, and the Read More initiative that works with the ‘Read with RTA’ app, to provide different types of audio books.