Dubai: The Dubai Metro has already achieved many of the goals for which it was built, a senior transport official said on Wednesday.

* Passengers pass through the turnstiles at the Mall of the Emirates station. Most Metro users agree that they seldom have to wait around for trains and are very pleased with the frequency of services. * Image Credit: Oliver Clarke/Gulf News

Thursday marks exactly one year since the Dubai Metro made its first journey.

The Roads and Transport Authority said a total of 30 million passengers have used Dubai Metro since first began operations.

Dubai Metro is a driverless, fully automated Metro network built at a cost of Dh28 billion. The number of stations which are currently operational on the Red Line number 21, from a total of 29. The remaining eight stations on the same line are expected to be opened by the end of the year.

In a statement, Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the RTA’s Board and Chief Executive, said the strategic objective was for public transport to carry 30 per cent of commuters by 2020. Currently the figure is 12.6 per cent.

“The next step will be to spread the culture of using mass transit modes and encourage the community members to use them in their daily travels,” Al Tayer had said.

Engineer Adnan Al Hammadi, Chief Executive Officer of the RTA’s Rail Agency, said current statistics on the Dubai Metro showed that the frequency of use and the daily average in terms of passenger numbers was in line with estimates for the rail service.

He said the Metro’s Red Line service had reduced road traffic by between 10 and 20 per cent during peak hours in the areas it served.

“With the start of the Green Line besides the Red Line, it is expected that the number of users will increase further next year compared to this year. This increase reflects the demand for travelling by the Metro specifically,” he said.

Al Hammadi said the Metro’s opening had brought many benefits to Dubai.

“Launching the Metro has contributed in reducing traffic congestion, as its effects appeared on the areas which are served by various metro stations,” he said.

Economic boost

Al Hammadi said the launch of the Metro also helped boost the city’s economy, as it connected tourism and trade destinations and main services with the metro network. For example, the price of land near the Metro stations had risen, he said.

Dubai Metro had also helped save energy, he said.

“A recent study by [RTA] had revealed the Metro project has successfully contributed to the RTA’s energy conservation plans,” Al Hammadi said.

“The operational results showed that the specifications set by the RTA for the design of the Metro systems contributed to a 25 per cent reduction in power consumption, which is equivalent to Dh20 million per year. Reduced carbon dioxide emissions from power generation plants driving the Metro added more value to the cost savings.”

Dubai Metro had also achieved a punctuality rate of more than 99 per cent — the highest of any driverless Metro system in the world, Gulf News has reported previously.

Dubai Metro’s punctuality rate was ahead of major driverless Metro systems around the world, including the North East Line in Singapore and the Docklands Light Rail in London, the RTA said.

Ignorance of rules can be costly

Dubai Adnan Al Hammadi, Chief Executive Officer of the Roads and Transport Authority’s Rail Agency, said that between the launch of Dubai Metro and August 14 this year, around 6,253 fines had been issued for various offences on Dubai Metro.

“The reason behind increase in Metro fines is due to the lack of abiding on the part of some commuters and the ignorance about the laws of using public transport,” he said adding that the most common fines were for eating or drinking in undesignated areas of the Metro including on trains, and for entering or sitting in places other than specified, or using public transport without paying the fare.

Al Hammadi said if lost items were found inside Metro trains or stations, the attendant stored them for 24 hours. Unclaimed items would be transferred to the central Khalid Bin Al Waleed Station, after which it was handed over to police, he said.

Eid timings

During Eid Al Fitr holidays, Dubai Metro timings across the 21 stations will be from 6am to 1am, except on Friday when trains will run from 2pm to 1am.

For inquiries about train schedules, call 800 9090.

Dubai: While the Metro has created an easy commute for thousands of Dubai residents, it’s also meant good business for many establishments near the stations.

* A train leaves the World Trade Centre Station on Shaikh Zayed Road. * Image Credit: Virendra Saklani/Gulf News

Malls near the stations have witnessed an increase in customer traffic since the train line’s opening.

“The impact has been very positive,” said Fouad Sharaf, Vice President, Mall of the Emirates.

Mall of the Emirates,which has a bridge that connects it directly to the Metro station, received about 10 per cent of its daily visitors through the Metro, he said.

On weekdays the total number of visitors to the mall was around 70,000 to 80,000 a day while on weekends that number went up to an average of 100,000 a day, Sharaf said. “So we’re talking about an average of 8,000 to 10,000 [visitors] on a daily basis through the Metro [platform],” he said.

Sharaf said that new shops including a money exchange, electronics and ice cream stores, had been opened at the Mall’s metro entrance, to cater to customers arriving by train.

Because many visitors tend to ride the Metro, the mall selected shops for that location that were suitable for tourists, he said.

Attraction

Daniel Mathew, General Manager of Rose Rayhaan by Rotana which is a few metres away from the Financial Centre Metro station told Gulf News that the Metro had become an attraction for hotel guests.

“The majority of them [the hotel guests] are not UAE residents and they need to use public transportation for their daily activities,” he said. It had also been a matter of convenience.

“The Metro also takes them directly to the shopping centres, main attractions as well as the airport,” he said.

Mathew said that many travellers from the GCC and the Middle East region were keen to experience the Metro at least once when they were in Dubai. Once they rode the Metro once, they started riding it more often, he said.

When it came to property, Matthew Green, Associate Director of Research for the UAE at CB Richard Ellis, told Gulf News that some tenants were starting to consider the location of the Metro station when apartment hunting.

“At this stage, it’s still marginal,” he said. “It’s very difficult to tell at the moment — maybe a five or 10 per cent [increase] if you’re close, but at the moment we still don’t know.”

However, “it is something that will develop over time as more and more start to use it” he said.

One of the reasons was because the Red Line, the line which was open now, moved along Shaikh Zayed Road. So the area it affected was pretty small, Green said.

The Metro would affect property values in the more densely populated areas. “We need to see more urbanisation and the other line opening for it to have a greater impact,” he said.

Given the weather conditions, “if you’re a couple of a hundred yards from the metro and you have a car you’re not likely to use it,” he said.

Dubai: Being on a student budget is tough. It’s hard when you have to count every dirham you spend.

That’s why many students in Dubai use the Dubai Metro to travel around. Let’s face it, it’s the cheapest way to get around.

Sabreen Abd Al Sakhi, a Sudanese national, uses the Metro every day to go to and from her summer job.

“It’s a good way for me to save money as it’s the cheapest and most reliable way to commute. This is the main reason I use it,” she told Gulf News.

Safety

Al Sakhi says she feels safe and knows that nothing bad is likely to happen to her on the Metro.

Along with safety, Paul Bathan’s reason for using the Metro to go to university every day is the cost.

It’s very popular amongst the students at his campus, but Bathan and his friends complain that there’s no Metro station nearby. The Filipino national said: “It suits our budgeted travel lifestyle so it makes sense to build a station nearby, so that students can take advantage of it.”

Jerusha Sequeira, a high school student, would have chosen the Metro as her form of transportation to school if the Oud Metha Station were open.

“The Metro is cheap so I would save a lot of money going to school,” she said, adding that her Metro commute would cost her less than half of the Dh250 she pays for the school bus every month.

Dubai: News of Dubai Metro opening last year was the reason for Arif Khan’s decision to continue living in the UAE. Now, he does not ride it any more.

The Metro train is tested on a stretch of completed track opposite Jebel Ali Free Zone. The train with a driver clearly visible in the front carriage made several journeys of about 400 meters from the station under construction to the end of the line at the Jafza International Headquarters building.

Khan, a Pakistani national, stopped riding the Metro when he had to move to Al Ghusais with his family in March.

Green line

He said: “I cannot use the Metro because the station near my new home, as well as the rest of the Green Line, are not operational as of yet.”

Khan, a computer engineer, will have to wait until the stations open so he can end his reliance on driving to work.

What used to cost Khan Dh80 a month to take the Metro to work now costs him Dh600 in car-related costs.

Saving money

He said: “Not only is the Metro a fraction of the price but it is also constant. Petrol prices and maintenance fees on my car keep increasing.

“At least the traffic congestion is not as bad as it used to be.”

In the current situation, if Khan were to use the Metro, he would need to wait for a feeder bus to take him to Al Rashidiya Station where he could take the Metro to work.

He said: “I hope they open the Green Line soon because I cannot keep wasting time and money.”

As the Dubai Metro turns one, we look back at some of its key milestones.

# As the Roads and Transport Authority prepares to celebrate one year since the first train chugged out of the Mall of the Emirates station, Gulf News charts historic moments of the journey. # Image Credit: Oliver Clarke/Gulf News

# 2005 Workers lay the foundations of the Dubai Metro at a portion of the Al Ittihad Park in Deira. # Image Credit: Hadrian Hernandez/Gulf News

# 2006 A worker - who seems to have been caught in a web - puts final touches to a foundation piling for a bridge in Al Awir. # Image Credit: Devadasan/Gulf News

2007 Workers are busy laying part of the track of the Dubai Metro. The Red Line extends 52km and comprises 29 stations (4 underground and 25 elevated).

Dubai: Sitting in traffic at 6am every morning and wishing you were in bed is not a good start to the day.

Wouldn’t it save you more time if you were able to start work at any time of the day? Gulf News readers say that flexible working hours would reduce commuting time and thus make life a little simpler.

Arif Khan, a Pakistani residing in Dubai, takes two hours to go to and from work every day. He said: “I spend around Dh600 every month on petrol, Salik, parking fees and traffic fines. It is quite a lot of money.”

Khan believes that working hours should be split between customer-related businesses, such as banks, and industries, as it would separate the traffic throughout the day.

Khan, an IT professional, thinks it is best for people in his profession to work from home. He said: “We work through computers and e-mails so our presence in the office does not make a difference.”

Distractions

Areej Juma, a baker who works in Dubai, feels that it is convenient to work from home. She said: “The only time I need to go out is when I need ingredients. It takes me an hour to drive around every time and the petrol used in my car costs Dh40 every week.” However, from Areej’s experience, whatever time you save on commuting, you might end up wasting because of distractions at home.

Areej, a Canadian, said: “There are so many things at home that keep you from working that you might not be very productive after all.”

T. K. Thaju, an Indian residing in Dubai, goes to work in two ways. The first is riding the Dubai Metro, which takes four minutes. However, the 10-minute walk to work is unpleasant.

When it is too hot, Thaju takes the bus, which drops him right next to his work. All these do not cost him much. He said: “My monthly transportation comes to around Dh80 a month.”

Thaju added that flexible working hours would decrease commute time, but it does not look like he will experience it. He said: “Having flexible working hours would even out traffic during the day, as not everyone would leave to go to work at the same time.”

Thirty years ago, Shaikh Zayed Road was a simple two-lane road amid the desert sand. Today it is one of the UAE’s busiest, biggest motorways, with six lanes in each direction. At one end the historic landmark of the World Trade Centre and at the other, the newly-opened Burj Khalifa — the world’s tallest tower.

* Shaikh Zayed Road is one of the UAE's busiest, biggest motorways, with six lanes in each direction. * Image Credit: MEGAN HIRONS MAHON/Gulf News

Over the years, towers have sprung up along the arterial road, as if feeding on an oasis of architecture in the desert.

Driving down this portion of Shaikh Zayed Road is humbling, with towers suddenly astride either side of you, it makes it feel like you’re crawling through a cave, or like you’ve suddenly become an ant crawling through huge blades of grass.

Executive business towers are dotted amongst residential towers. Pavement cafés, banks, hairdressing salons, supermarkets, restaurants and outlets nestle below the blocks. Businesspeople and residents alike step just metres away from the busy highway into the quiet cafés, away from the buzz of Shaikh Zayed Road.

Civilised place

Gulf News caught up with some of those found going about their business aside the arterial road.

Jason Cabusao, 28, a Filippino, is a resident of Shaikh Zayed Road.

“It’s a very civilised place. It’s always busy, even at night. I’ve been living in Dubai for five years now and I like it because the Metro is very accessible.”

Ben Parducho, 33, also a Filippino, works as a secretary in one of the towers along Shaikh Zayed Road.

“It’s very cool, there are lots of friendly people. Having the Metro here is cool and it’s very nice.” He has been in Dubai for one year and eight months and was found taking his friend’s dog King for a walk.

King, five months old, lives in Jumeirah Lakes Towers, but likes to go for walks around the quieter areas. The thing he likes best about his walks is chasing the pigeons.

Sumatha K., 43, an Indian, works in one of the residential towers on Shaikh Zayed Road.

“I’ve been living in Dubai for the past 12 years. I work as a housemaid and I have a very nice employer. I like the Metro a lot. My daughter also works in a bank on Shaikh Zayed Road,” she said.

Four Metro stations on the operational Red Line serve the motorway, with pedestrian bridges over the busy lanes of traffic: Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall; Financial Centre, Emirates Towers; and the World Trade Centre Metro stations are currently open. Business Bay Metro station will open in the future. Buses also serve both sides of the road, connecting the city.

Numerous hotels also line the skyscraper boulevard: providing perfect resting places for tourists and businesspeople and serving residents with restaurants, bars and nightclubs.

Towers Rotana on the Abu Dhabi-bound side of Shaikh Zayed Road, hosts the renowned Flavours on Two. Each night the buffet is of a different theme. Sunday is flame and rotisserie; Monday is Indian; Tuesday is flavours from Blighty (Britain); Wednesday is seafood; Thursday and Friday is Italian; while Saturday is international.

The Crowne Plaza, on the same side, hosts American food outlet TGI Friday’s for the hungry, pan-Asian restaurant chain Wagamama, and Polynesian-themed restaurant Trader Vic’s.

The Zinc nightclub is open until the early hours of the morning, for those who like to dance the night away.

It also has a small shopping centre on two floors, with a supermarket, chemist, a number of souvenir shops and a newsagent. The public car parking at the back is also handy.

On the Sharjah-bound side of Shaikh Zayed Road, the Dusit Thani stands with its notably unique architecture. Its signature restaurant the Benjarong serves authentic cuisine in a traditional setting. One private dining area provides low seating with cushions.

Those after some regional food should head to Safadi, which also serves shisha, while further down the road at the Axiom café, Wi-Fi connection is free of charge. Subway and Johnny Rockets provide fast-food lovers with their fix, while Shakespeare’s café is a great place for lunch.

Architecturally-attractive and upstanding, the Emirates Towers comprise a business tower of offices and a hotel tower.

Underneath these twin high-rises is The Boulevard shopping centre, hosting numerous high-fashion brand names for the discerning shopper.

Harry Ghatto’s karaoke venue on the upper floor is the place for budding singers: it seems the talented — and not so talented — congregate here.

With interchanges at either end and slip roads serving both sides, access to all the facilities Shaikh Zayed Road has to offer is easy.

1. Flavours on Two — restaurant in Towers Rotana, Abu Dhabi-bound side of Shaikh Zayed Road. The restaurant serves up cuisine from around the world with different themes depending on the evening. Italian, British, Indian and international nights are held.
2. Architecture — The best way to see the Shaikh Zayed Road architecture is simply to take a drive down the road from either direction. Start at the World Trade Centre roundabout and view the spectacular Burj Khalifa at the new interchange.
3. Safadi — restaurant serves Levantine cuisine, including shawarma, hummous and moutabel. Shisha is also served. A traditional dish of lamb’s brain is presented in a sandwich at this restaurant.
4. Crowne Plaza — The multitude of restaurants, bars and clubs at this venue make it attractive for residents and visitors alike. Views of Shaikh Zayed Road can be afforded from either Wagamama or TGI Friday’s.
5. Dubai Metro — Joyriding on the Sharjah-bound side of Shaikh Zayed Road is another great way to see the sights. Take a trip at dusk to see the sun setting between the skyscrapers.