Dubai - Here's why taking public transport is way better than driving.
Published: Tue 1 Nov 2016, 7:53 PM
Updated: Tue 17 Mar 2020, 8:00 PM
Dubai's Public Transport Day has become a strategic platform to promote Road and Transport Authority's (RTA) mass transit portfolio, which includes the Metro, tram, buses and its marine transit system - representing a unique multi-modal transit system that has helped reinforce Dubai's leading position as one of the best cities in the world.
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The annual event, celebrated first of every November, has also proven effective in making people aware of the importance of public transportation in Dubai. It represents a crucial part of the solution to the nation's economic, energy, and environmental goals. It has also helped bring a better quality of life and improved mobility.
Transport Research Lab (TRL), a global centre for innovation in transport and mobility, enlists the benefits of using public transport over private vehicle usage:
1) Safety: Studies have shown the rate of accidents can be reduced by 15-fold through the use of public transport.
2) Cost-saving: Public transit can be up to four times cheaper.
3) Health: Walking to and from public transport is a great way to incorporate some extra physical activity. It's less stressful and you can read, listen to music or unwind on your daily commute.
4) Environment-friendly: Public transport, be it the bus, a ferry or the metro, can reduce the reliance on fossil fuel supplies, making public transport at least twice as energy efficient as private cars. For example, one full bus can take up to 50 cars off the road, one metro can take up to 500 cars off the road.
*Tawab Kazemi is the UAE country director and head of transportation of Transport Research Lab, a UK-based company that provides independent research, consultancy, testing and certification for all aspects of transport.