UAE. Dubai Metro was launched as planned on Wednesday night, marking a historical day for the city. The opening of the 52km Dubai Metro Red Line, which was broadcast live on television, began with a reception attended by hundreds at the Mall of the Emirates Galleria.

HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai punched in the first ticket exactly at 9pm, 9 minutes and 9 seconds, marking the official inauguration of the first metro system in the Gulf region.

Sheikh Mohammed along with VIPs and members of the media boarded the train which left the station at 9.11pm.

The Metro project has gone through a massive 50%-55% changes in terms of its design and new stations and facilities since its inception to cope with the growing needs of the city.

The cost of the Red and Green Lines has risen from the original budget ofAED15.5 billion to more than AED28 (US$7.6 billion) as a result of additions and extensions to the project

It is expected to generate revenues in excess of AED17 billion (US$4.63 billion) over the next 10 years, the chairman of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Mattar al-Tayer said. The income will come from fares, advertising, retail rents and station naming.

The metro was launched with 10 stations operational out of 29. All 29 stations on the metros 52 km Red Line were initially meant to open on 9 September, but delays meant only a third were ready in time with the rest coming online before February next year.

Al Tayer said the Red Line had been built in just 49 months. The other 19 stations which will not be opened until later including ones at Jebel Ali and the Dubai Mall are 90% complete. Sheikh Mohammed said the new system, the first in the country, would help the UAE stand on par with other countries.

He also used it as an example of the financial resiliance of the emirate, in the wake of last years economic downturn.

We have postponed some of the projects that were still on paper, but we ordered that those in operation be completed, and Dubai Metro is a concrete proof of that, said Sheikh Mohammed.

Source:  www.youtube.com

The car rental business in Dubai has not been impacted much by the Dubai Metro and, according to leading players in the industry, there is enough room for different modes of transport to co-exist in the city.

Little impact of Metro on car rental business. (EB FILE)

“It is very difficult to quantify the impact – if the Metro has had any,” Nigel Johnson, General Manager of Hertz UAE, told Emirates Business. “The system actually complements the rental business. People opt for rentals as they are looking at a very flexible motoring channel.

“The answer is that I don’t know [if there is an impact]. It’s very limited, if anything, would be my guess. The demand for car rental has fluctuated a lot over the past 18 months, but it’s very difficult to say which part of the market is influencing it. I don’t believe the Metro is significantly influencing it.”

Citing the case of car rental companies in major metropolitan cities such as Paris and London, Sam ElTibi, Executive Director, Mena & Asia Pacific, at Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group (DTAG), said a thriving car rental industry and a public Metro system can exist simultaneously without negatively impacting each other.

“The Metro’s impact on our business has been negligible,” he said. “Our target market continues to rent from us. Transport in the Middle East is largely dominated by cars, and the market is large enough for all forms of transport to co-exist. Dubai will continue to attract tourists from all over the world, given the world class infrastructure and facilities that it has to offer.”

Johnson of Hertz said the impact by the Metro is on the same lines as that of taxis in the city. “In the same way [like the Metro], people use taxis to move around – all these sit together and they serve different parts of the market.” The car rental companies also deny any impact on business by departing expatriates in the wake of the economic crisis last year.

“There was a lot of speculation about large volumes of vehicles being left at the airport. In truth, we had less than five vehicles left, and not all of them were left at the airport. They were abandoned outside people’s houses. We even had a customer who kindly left the car at our location,” said Johnson.

Gradually life is going the Metro way in Dubai. It seems more and more people now prefer to travel by train, leaving their cars home. It not only saves them the ordeal of traffic snarls, but is a source of convenience as well.

The opening of several new Metro stations has increased their accessibility, more feeder buses adding to it. This is why authorities believe with the new facilities at work the number of people taking Metro is likely to increase from 50 to 75 per cent. This success story will, doubtlessly, go a long way in contributing to the environmental friendliness of the emirate.

It is a good sign that authorities are planning to broaden the fleet and infrastructure for public transport.

Dubai, which already boasts world-class roads and infrastructure, has the potential of encouraging more and more people to make use of public transport. Provision of healthier, speedier and frequently available travelling options such as buses and trains can make the difference.

Inevitably, it will come as a boom to the economy, as people will be relieved of the psychological stress and strain of commutating, providing them with peace of mind at work. Moreover, initiatives like the one recently launched by the Dubai Municipality to observe a car-free day can further the objective of awareness among the masses for mass public transportation.

Presently, Metro’s Red Line, which shuttles the workforce from either end of Dubai, is serving as the city’s lifeline. The massive investment that has come its way from the government is intended at building an environment friendly and hassle free module of commuting. It needs to be appreciated that there hasn’t been any let up even amid the tides of recession.

This commitment speaks volumes of the vision at work. Opening of all the 29 stations by year-end on the Red Line will come as a shot in the arm for public transportation in the emirate. One hopes similar Metro ventures, especially the one under consideration between Sharjah and Dubai, will set
the ball rolling.

This isn’t going to be a very popular suggestion – especially not in the car-loving Emirates. But like it or not, there is a very serious argument to be made for the UAE government hiking the cost of fuel sold on the domestic market.

The price of both petrol and diesel was raised by 11 percent earlier this month, although fuel costs still remain far below international averages. The increases were an attempt by the government to reduce the burden of fuel subsidies on some oil companies. Dubai’s major refiner, ENOC, says that it loses money on domestically sold petrol whenever crude prices exceed $45 a barrel, and economists warn that consumers are wasteful when prices are excessively low.

Clearly, an 11 percent price hike is far from outrageous, but the extra few fils per liter might just be the incentive needed to get the ball rolling in a gradual upward movement in fuel prices. Many drivers will see this as both inevitable and undesirable – but higher prices will have strong benefits, too.

For government subsidies represent a burden on the economy and encourage wasteful consumption. Rising petrol prices would reduce the impact of this, but also offer another happy outcome: It would encourage residents to use public transport, and help diversify the economy.

In the same way that Cuba makes serious money by exporting all those legendary Montecristos, perhaps the UAE government envisions its relation to oil in a similar light: reducing domestic reliance, as it profits from its sale on the world market.

The government should wean the public off petrol subsidies and begin the gradual upward correction in petrol prices. At the same time, UAE residents should begin rethinking their transportation habits and avail themselves of the comfort and affordability of the existing and planned mass transit systems.

Dubai Metro is a shining example of forward-thinking city planning. The multi-billion dollar system can help address the transportation needs of Dubai’s growing population, serving visitors, reducing traffic congestion, and preserving the great lifestyle that residents enjoy.

Failure to incentivize the public towards embracing such transit systems will impact negatively on tourism, quality of life, fiscal responsibility, oil company solvency, and environmental stewardship.

And if you need more convincing, consider a visit to Beirut. Access to well-run, organized and affordable mass transit would be transformational for the quality of life in an otherwise lovely city.

H.E. Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of Roads & Transport Authority (RTA), announced that project completion has reached 97 per cent in the bridges at the approaches of the entry/exit points of Rashidiya Metro Station, and 95 per cent of bridges and roads leading to Meydan Racecourse at Nad al-Sheba area.

Bridges leading to Rashidiya Metro Station are currently undergoing final touches by the contracting company in preparation for opening. The project includes construction of directional ramps at the intersection of Emirates Road and Khawaneej Road. It also includes construction of two bridges at Khawaneej Road in order to facilitate vehicular movement from and to the Park and Ride facility of Rashidiya Metro Station with a total length of 2.5 km. Early last year RTA has opened phase one of the project involving a bridge leading to the entry of the Parking lot of the station; which has a capacity to house about 2700 vehicles.

“Construction of the project, which costs about 699 million dirham, comes as part of RTA drive to improve and upgrade the network of main roads in the emirate of Dubai, and link the Park-and-Ride facilities of the metro stations with the roads network within Dubai Emirate. Rashidiya Station is one of the key metro stations as it is the starting point of Dubai Metro Red Line. The station extends 130 meters in length and 30 meters in width and has a capacity to handle 11,000 passengers per hour per direction. The station has two entry points fitted with escalators and lifts to ease the movement of commuters to and from the station, and a multi-level parking lot with a capacity to accommodate 2714 vehicles in order to encourage the public to use the metro in their travels across the emirate. The ground floor of the complex has been designated for public transport modes that feed the station, and has been designed to accommodate articulated and double-deck buses and to ensure smooth traffic flow and accommodate a large number of buses at a time. The building has also been linked with footbridges extending to the opposite side of the road leading to the metro station such that the period needed to travel from the farthest point of a parking slot will not exceed 3 minutes, while addressing all safety aspects of passenger movement within the parking lot.

Al Tayer revealed that construction of Roads & Bridges Project leading to Meydan Racecourse reached an advanced stage and the contractor is about to finalize the project which encompasses construction of bridges extending 2025 meters, including two entry/exit bridges extending 710 meters and a VIP bridge linking Meydan with Dubai-Al Ain Road extending 1315 meters.

“Construction works in the project will be finalized with the launch of the 15th Dubai World Cup on 27 March 2010. The bridges will serve Meydan project; which covers an area of 76 million square feet and encompasses the biggest horseracing racetrack in the world in addition to an hotel, golf courses, malls, recreational facilities, modern stables, Godolphin gallery, waterways, restaurants and parking lots for about 10,000 vehicles.

Dubai metro video, 8. Feb 2010

Source:  www.youtube.com

Dubai metro. From Underground to Ground Leve. 30. Jan 2010.