By Eugene Harnan www.thenational.ae
DUBAI // The Dubai Metro has been a hit with riders, with nearly 3.5 million passengers travelling the rail line since it opened in September.
Mall of the Emirates was the most popular station on the partially opened Red Line, according to figures compiled by the rail agency at the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). The station saw the number of passengers rise 17 per cent from the first month.
In its first two months of operation, 3,492,175 passengers have boarded the driverless Metro at one of the Red Line’s 10 stations. Many of the remaining 19 stations have been built and all are expected to open by the end of February.
Ramadan Abdullah, the rail agency’s operations director, said people were now using the Dh29 billion (US$8.6bn) system to beat the traffic.
“It also contributed to easing traffic congestion and lower pollution levels from vehicles and motorbikes, preserving the environment and creating a fun travel atmosphere,” Mr Abdullah said.
During the first two months of operation, starting on September 9 and ending November 9, Mall of the Emirates Station had 607,775 passengers while Khalid bin al Waleed Station had 507,196 passengers. Ittihad Station in Deira had 437,017 and Al Rashidiya Station had 400,303 passengers. Nakheel Harbour and Tower Station, which has parking for 3,000 cars, saw 357,934 passengers pass through the station.
The least busy stations were Airport Terminal 3 Station with 131,934 and Jafliya, with 177,278 passengers.
