By Heather Madore, Community Solutions Editor www.gulfnews.com
Dubai:Â According to the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), so far this year over 180 million passengers in Dubai have taken the green approach by using public transportation. According to Gulf News readers, this increase can be explained by the improvement in services and convenience it provides.
Abdul Rahim Nasir, a Sri Lankan national, has been taking the Dubai Metro for about six months and said it has greatly helped ease people’s lives.
He said: “Before people either drove or had to take a taxi and traffic was very bad. Now with the Metro, traffic has gone down and made it easier for people to get where they need to go.”
Mohammad Hadi, an Indian national, agrees and adds that he chooses to use the Metro because it is very comfortable. He said: “I take it occasionally. There are usually a lot of seats available and it’s a very quiet ride. Also, it takes very little time to reach your destination and it is cost-effective.”
But it isn’t just the Metro encouraging more people to use public transportation.
Improvements
According to Emma Silao-Almeria, a Filipina national, she has been using various forms of public transportation since she arrived in Dubai four years ago. She thinks there has been a lot of improvement in services, especially with regard to waiting time.
She said: “Public transportation has started to become more accessible. For example, it used to take an hour for the next bus to come, but the frequency of the buses has increased so now the next bus arrives within 10-15 minutes.”