Dubai to study residents' remote, flexible work options to ease traffic jams

In a bid to ease Dubai's traffic congestion woes, the Road and Transport Authority (RTA) is seeking feedback from motorists to tackle the issue head-on.

The RTA has launched a comprehensive survey aimed at private sector employees, which seeks to gather insights into traffic movement patterns, specifically exploring the potential impact of flexible work hours and remote working arrangements.

The transport authority wrote: "The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), in cooperation with other relevant entities in Dubai, is undertaking (as part of its efforts to manage traffic movement and reduce traffic congestion) a study to understand the current situation in the private sector in relation to 'flexible work hours' and 'remote working'."

Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.

An RTA spokesperson confirmed to Khaleej Times that the authority aims to understand better commuting behaviours and work preferences among private sector employees through the survey.

By analysing the information, the UAE authorities can identify opportunities to manage traffic flow and alleviate congestion levels.

To incentivise participation, the RTA said that respondents who complete the survey will enter into a prize draw. When participating in the study, residents can enter their name, phone number or e-mail in the allotted space.

It is optional to provide the information, and RTA assured that these data will remain strictly confidential and will only be used for research purposes.

Participants will be asked about the number of official working days per week and hours per day, whether the company implements a flexible working start window, and if a remote working policy is currently in place.

Respondents are asked to share their opinions about other work policies that can be implemented in their companies, such as compressed working schemes (slight increase in daily working hours and reduced working days/increase in holidays by, say, one additional day every two weeks).

• UAE: Major road to be partially closed for 3 days in Abu Dhabi