1,400 daily Dubai Metro trips, hundreds of additional taxis: RTA announces transport plan for Fifa World Cup

Nearly 1,400 daily Dubai Metro trips, 700 additional taxis, 60 dedicated public buses, and three marine transit means will transport up to 1,200 passengers per hour during the Fifa World Cup in Qatar.

This came as the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) unveiled its master plan for managing the mobility of residents and visitors at fan zones in Dubai, and facilitating the movement of fans flying to Qatar through Al Maktoum International Airport.

About 700 additional taxis will be added to the RTA’s existing fleet of 11,310. The Hala cabs can be booked through the Careem app. The taxi services will be available around the clock during weekends and public holidays.

Authorities will take real-time traffic conditions into account to allocate resources accordingly.

Traffic flow at official fan zone

Fans can watch World Cup matches live at different locations in Dubai. As the Official Fifa Fan Zone, Dubai Harbour will be a key destination for foreign and local supporters. Buses, taxis and water transport means will be used to transfer spectators from Bluewaters Island to Dubai Harbour. According to the plan, mobile teams monitoring fan zones will manage traffic on King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Street to streamline vehicle movement and ensure a smooth traffic flow.

The RTA will also support other fan zones in the city, including Barasti, Dubai Media City and Zero Gravity.

Public buses

The RTA will utilise 60 public buses to bring fans to designated Fifa World Cup locations. This dedicated service will operate on specific bus routes. The new DWC1 route departs from Al Maktoum International Airport (Arrivals), passes via the Dubai Metro Expo Station, and continues to Ibn Battuta Bus Station every 30 minutes, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

This route will only be operational until December 20, 2022.

The second route is F55, a Metro feeder link service that will shuttle between Al Maktoum International Airport and Dubai Metro Expo Station. It runs from 5am to 12 midnight at a frequency of 30 minutes.

The third route is N55, a night service from 10pm until 5am to connect Al Maktoum International Airport and the Dubai Expo Metro Station.

sahim@khaleejtimes.com