RTA right on track to meet 2030 aim

Over 262.5 million people in Dubai have used public transport — including the Dubai Metro, public buses, marine transit modes and taxis — in the first half of the year, says a top official of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).

Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman and Executive Director of RTA, said last year, during the same period, a little over 165,000,000 commuters used the mass public transport to commute across the city.

Expressing delight with the annual growth in the number of public transport users, he said it epitomised the RTA’s strategy to curb the use of private vehicles and broaden the use of mass transit modes so that they became the preferred option for residents in Dubai.

The RTA aims to raise the share of public transport means in residents’ movements to as much as 30 per cent by 2030.

“The share of public transport means grew from 6 per cent in 2006 to 13 per cent in 2013 and is expected to hit 14 per cent by the end of this year,” he said. “This sustained growth has been made thanks to a superb and integrated mass transit means network comprising the Dubai Metro, a modern fleet of public buses and marine transit means comprising traditional abras, water bus, Dubai Ferry, and the water taxi. The last quarter of this year will witness the launch of the Dubai Tram; a further addition to public transit means poised to serve a large segment of residents in an area characterised by high population density.”

The number of passengers using the Dubai Metro Red and Green Lines over the past six months amounted to 81,403,876 riders compared to 67,101,316 during the same period last year. The number of persons using public buses during the first half of this year amounted to 67,598,035. The figure was 56,256,678 during the same period last year.

The Dubai Bus service was the most popular service attracting 45,899,235 passengers, followed by the metro stations feeder bus service which transported 11,720,647 people. The Inter-City bus service was used by 6,810,457 riders.

The marine transit means saw 7.182 million passengers.

Taxis (Dubai Taxi and franchise companies) made 53,282,652 journeys, transporting 106,565,304 people.