Dubai Metro: Half a billion riders and counting

The Dubai Metro will celebrate on Tuesday its fifth anniversary amid very healthy indicators of success in the operational efficiency judged by the high compliance with trips timetables, world-class safety standards, and the number of riders which recorded which about 500 million riders since the service had been launched in September 2009 till the end of last August.

His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, officially inaugurated the Dubai Metro, constructed at a total cost of Dh28 billion, on September 9, 2009.

Two years after the start of the operation of the Dubai Metro Red Line, namely on 9/9/2011, Shaikh Mohammed opened the Dubai Metro Green Line; which spans 23 km linking 18 stations including 6 underground stations, and 12 elevated stations. The Red and Green lines converge at two transfer stations namely Al Ittihad Station, and Burjuman Station.

Mattar Al Tayer, chairman of the board and executive director of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) said: “This huge achievement goes beyond the realms of the Emirate to cover the entire world, as it reflects positively on the image of Dubai as a distinctive metropolis and a hub for business and advanced living styles. The Dubai Metro has added a new beautiful dimension to the landmarks and towering achievements of the Dubai, particularly as it uses the latest technology of rail industry and is considered the longest driverless metro line worldwide.”

“The Dubai Metro project is a brainchild of Shaikh Mohammed, in providing a world-class infrastructure, rendering Dubai a global financial and business hub. The idea reflects the firm belief of Shaikh Mohammed in the importance of the metro system in achieving and providing the requirements of urban growth witnessed by the city. Shaikh Mohammed has envisaged the metro to shape as the backbone of the transport system that connects various vital areas in the emirate, and provides easy and safe mobility for passengers,” added Al Tayer.

“The Dubai Metro is a shrewd idea envisioned by Shaikh Mohammed, in nurturing a comprehensive infrastructure of roads network and transportation systems covering railways, public buses, and marine transit modes besides using the latest traffic technologies with the objective of providing an integrated transit system that keeps pace with the sweeping development drive witnessed by the Dubai, and responds to the futuristic ambitions of the Emirate. The metro system is also viewed as a true manifestation of the Dubai Strategic Plan 2015 in general, and the Infrastructure and Environment Plan in particular in terms of providing smooth mobility, improving the safety levels, and making mass transit systems the ideal mobility choice. Operating the Dubai Metro at this high efficiency adds to the array of achievements posted by Dubai noting that the metro compliance with the timetables of trips clocked 98 per cent; which is quite high.”

Al Tayer praised the strategic partners whose efforts were integral part of the success of the RTA in the successful operation of the Dubai Metro, and at the top of these comes the General HQ of the Dubai Police represented by the General Department of Transport and Rescue, and Serco company which is responsible for the metro operation. Al Tayer also commended the Dubai Metro riders, who made the metro their first choice of mobility between various districts of Dubai, for their compliance with the rules and regulations governing the use of the metro and maintaining the facilities of the project. Over these five years no single incident was reported about breaching the code or vandalizing the facilities of the project. He also hailed the efforts of RTA employees, especially the Rail Agency staffs for their immense efforts in monitoring and following up the metro operation.

Al Tayer was delighted with the positive indicators depicting a growth in the number of the metro riders; which proves that RTA’s plan for increasing the public transport ridership is moving in the right direction. Indictors also reflect an evolution in people’s perception and the culture of the community towards public transit means. People have started to feel and experience the benefits of public transport systems including the psychological and physical comfort associated with the hassle-free mobility, and reduced outlays of fuel and vehicle maintenance.

“The number of Dubai Metro Red Line users since the start of operation onSeptember 9, 2009 until last August, soared to 333,661,032 riders. The number of riders has grown steadily, jumping from 38,887,718 riders in 2010 to 60,024,794 riders in 2011. In 2013, it continued its upward trajectory to touch 88,886,539 riders, and in the first eight months of this year, the number of Red Line users climbed to 67,054,535 riders. The total number of Green Line users, which was opened on September 9, 2011, until the end of last August, went up to the tune of 134,251,247 riders. The number of Green Line users in 2012 was about 37,577,000 riders, and shot even higher in 2013 to as many as 48,872,719 riders, whereas in the first eight months of this year the number has already touched 38,819,433 riders,” elaborated Al Tayer.

“These indicators, added Al Tayer, confirm that the RTA is edging closer to the set target of raising the share of public transport in the mobility of people to as much as 30per cent of the total number of trips by 2030, as it reached 13 per cent in 2013. The massive investments injected by the Dubai Government in upgrading the infrastructure of public transport sector proved both feasibleand effective in bolstering the economic development witnessed by Dubai under the prudent leadership of Shaikh Mohammed. It also acted as a catalyst to reviving the business process, boosting tourist activities, and offering safe and smooth transit systems capable of facilitating the mobility, propping up the economy and raising the competitive edge of Dubai in hosting international events such as conferences, sports events, and horse races among others, highlighted by Dubai’s successful bidding to host Expo 2020. Investment on public transport will also result in conserving the environment, slashing the financial impact of traffic congestions, and shifting the demand for mobility services from private vehicles to public transit means.”

• Transport