By Staff www.emirates247.com
One hundred million commuters have used the Dubai Metro’s red and green lines since the service was launched in September 2009 till November 7, 2011, according to Mattar Al Tayer, chairman of the board and executive director of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).
Metro users have grown tremendously following launch of the green line last September which now accounts for 30 per cent of the total metro riders, said Al Tayer.
Al Tayer expected the number of metro commuters to grow significantly in the near future with onset of the winter marked by several events such as launch of the Dubai Shopping Festival, exhibitions and conferences and arrival of tourists in Dubai.
Al Tayer said the growth in the number of Dubai Metro commuters reflects a growing preference for public transport among residents of the city. People have begun to understand the advantages of using mass transport, like saving on fuel and maintenance of vehicles, he said.
“Since its launch in September 2009 and up to the end of October last, the number of passengers using the red line reached 94,330,908, and the number of passengers using the green line since start of its operation on September 9 this year up to the end of October last totalled 3,660,544. The number of the metro riders on both the red and green lines during the first seven days of November 2011 exceeded two million,” according to Al Tayer.
“Riders of the metro’s red line has grown steadily since it was opened in September 2009 from 1.8 million in October 2009 to four million in October 2010 and 5.482 million in October 2011. The Union, Khalid bin Al Waleed, Deira City Center, Mall of the Emirates, Rigga and Rashidiya stations account for the lion’s share of metro riders on the red line. The Union station was used by 10,984,461 passengers and Khalid bin Al Waleed station by 10,545,440 passengers, followed by Mall of the Emirates station (8,256,307), Deira City Centre station (8,006,000), Al Rigga (6,217,000), and Al Rashidiya (5,142,000),” he said. More info
