Dubai’s public transport ridership hits 275mn in H1

Dubai / Emirates Business

Mattar Al Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), revealed that public transit means in Dubai comprising Dubai metro, Dubai tram, public buses, marine transit modes (abra, ferry, water taxi, water bus) and taxicabs (Dubai Taxi and franchise companies) have lifted 275,772,000 riders in the first half of 2017. Figures of RTA’s statistics Section indicate that public transport ridership in Dubai recorded in the first half of this year compare well with the same figures recorded during the same period last year, which was 273,452,791 riders. The daily ridership recorded in the first half of this year clocked 1.507 million riders.
Dubai Metro accounted for the lion share in public transport ridership in as much as 36.4 percent, followed by taxis (31.7 percent) ahead of public buses finished third (28 percent).Red and Green Lines of the Dubai Metro have lifted 100.558 million riders in the first half of this year, showing a healthy growth compared with the figures reported for the same period last year (96.486 m riders). The Red Line was used by 64.378 million riders, and the Green Line was used by 36.18 million riders. The Dubai Tram has lifted 3.087 million rides compared with 2.535 million riders during the same period last year.
The public buses have served during the first half of this year 77.695 m riders compared with 69.922 m riders during the same period last year. Marine transit modes, comprising abra, water bus, water taxi and ferry, have lifted 6.638 m riders. Taxis (Dubai Taxi, Hala Taxi and Franchise companies taxis) have lifted 87.792 m passengers in the first half of 2017, compared with 85.196 m passengers used taxis during the same period of 2016.
Al Tayer was delighted with the positive results of public transport ridership; which is experiencing steady growth, thanks to the integration of mass transit modes in the Emirate. “The public transport means have now become the backbone of people mobility in various parts of Dubai, and the preferred transit option for a huge segment
of Dubai residents and visitors,” he noted.
“The huge and diverse projects undertaken by the RTA have contributed to the sustained increase in public transport ridership that has leapfrogged from 6 percent in 2006 to 16 percent in 2016, and if we add taxis, the share would shoot to as high as 24 percent. RTA is endeavoring to push the share of public transport (metro, tram, buses, and water transport) to 20 percent by 2020, and 30 percent by 2030,”
explained Al Tayer.