By Ashfaq Ahmed, Chief Reporter www.gulfnews.com
Dubai: Dubai’s plan to lure more people onto public transport has started gaining momentum as the number of commuters on the Metro and buses is rapidly increasing on a daily basis.
More than 23 million passengers have used the Dubai Metro since its launching last September 9, the latest Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) statistics reveal.
Dubai introduced a comprehensive integrated public transport system with the launching of its driverless Metro last year at the cost of Dh28 billion.
The number of public buses has also increased from less than 500 in early 2009 to more than 1,500 this year.
“A larger number of people is using the public transport whenever and wherever it is possible for them, leaving their private cars at home,” said Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA.
The average number of passengers on the Metro each day increased from 35,000 last year to 110,000.
The Metro carried a record 130,529 passengers on July 1. The service is expected to carry more than 35 million passengers this year.
Al Tayer said the number of Metro passengers has grown faster than expected.
“Our plan for the mass public transport in the emirate is going on the right track as we have successfully been attracting larger numbers of passengers to use the Metro, public buses and water transport,” he said.
Al Tayer said the increasing number of passengers reflected a change in the community’s culture from private cars to mass transit systems.
“Now people have started to understand benefits of using the mass transport system.
“It is comfortable, cheap with no stress physical or psychological,” he said.
RTA figures released yesterday showed the number of Metro users had risen steadily since the launch of the service last September 9.
The number of passengers jumped from 1.8 million in October to 3.3 million in June.
All aboard: Top Five Stations used
- Khalid Bin Al Waleed Station: 3.145 million
- Mall of the Emirates Station: 3.059 million
- Union Square Station: 2.989 million
- Deira City Centre Station: 2.102 million
- Al Rashidiya Station: 1.829 million.
Number of commuters at 10 new stations
- Ibn Battuta Station: 466,554 passengers
- Al Karama Station: 276,817
- Dubai Marina Station: 231,663
- Emirates Towers Station: 211,262
- Emirates Airlines Station: 150,670
- Dubai Internet City Station: 149,549
- Terminal 1: 116,000
- Noor Islamic Bank Station: 114,581
- Dubai World Trade Centre Station: 98,805
- GGICO Station: 93,058
